


A Tale of Three Destinies: An Echo of Nothing

by Dalastjedi



Series: Tales of Three Destinies [2]
Category: Destiny (Video Games)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Destiny, Earth, F/F, F/M, Legends, Non-Canon Abilities, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, The Dark Below, The Hive - Freeform, The Vex - Freeform, Venus - Freeform, lore expansion, the fallen - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-08
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:01:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 87,211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22173736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dalastjedi/pseuds/Dalastjedi
Summary: Sunsinger Mira Vuul has always had trouble maintaining relationships; both in and out of work. But when no one else will help her in her search for the source of a mysterious transmission originating from the dark side of Venus, she will have to turn to the last place she would go for help: Her Fireteam.Sequel to 'Heirs of an Empire'.
Relationships: Amanda Holliday/Original Female Character(s) (Mentioned), Eris Morn/Original Male Character(s) (Past)
Series: Tales of Three Destinies [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1039538
Comments: 16
Kudos: 15





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Are you surprised this is up already?
> 
> Honestly, so am I. But I've been unable to write for anything else and the story ideas for this keep buzzing at me. I just have to write it to get it out of my system.
> 
> For those of you new to the Tales of Three Destinies series; welcome. Hope you have a great time here. This is the second story in an ongoing saga, so I would highly recommend you check out the first story "Heirs of An Empire", to better understand the members of Fireteam Roman. For those of you coming back from the first story; welcome back!
> 
> One foreword I want to put out before this goes any further is that this story is very much Mira-centric. At least half of the chapters will be told from Mira's perspective, so I hope you come to love her as much as I have over the writing process. She is honestly one of the more interesting characters I've ever had to write for (and one that goes through a lot of change I-blame-my-irl-fireteam-member-who-made-her).
> 
> Anywho, more as the story develops.
> 
> Disclaimer: Destiny and all it's original content belong to Bungie. The only thing I own are my own OC's and I'm not even sure I have claim over them anymore.

**Endless Steps, Ishtar Sink, Venus…**

**Two Months after the Deimos Crisis…**

Two more shots rang out, followed by the metallic clatter of two Vex Goblins collapsing into pieces. The remaining Vex units let out a collective mechanical screech of what could only be rage as they withdrew further up the stone steps - firing at their attackers all the while.

Overwhelmed by the sudden counterattack, the two Guardians at the base of the Endless Steps quickly dove to take cover behind stone formations on either side of the slope. The storm of red-hot plasma fire was relentless as the two Guardians struggled to return fire.

“Cayde wasn’t kidding: The Vex can really turn on the heat in a flash.” one of the Guardians – a Hunter – told her companion as she leaned out of cover to spray the retreating robots with a round of bullets.

“We’re more than enough for a couple squads of drones,” the Warlock replied as she peeked around the concrete slab. She only had a second to spot her targets before a stray round clipped the edge of her cover inches from her face, disintegrating part of the stone and blasting a shower of dust in her face. “Just keep them distracted while I flank to their left.” the Warlock commanded, flipping the safety on her Fusion Rifle off.

“Yes, ma’am.” The Hunter drawled while swapping in her shotgun, firing a couple rounds to bait the Vex into attacking her. She waited a few anxious seconds for the Vex to refocus their efforts solely on the Hunter before skirting along the uneven stones to the left of the slope. With the rifle in one hand, the Warlock glided and clambered up the blocks of concrete until she had flanked the cluster of Vex.

Sitting on her haunches with her back to the stone, the Warlock closed her eyes, concentrating on the sounds of battle and the source of the plasma fire. Once she was sure she had an approximation of the distance between her and the Vex, the Warlock vaulted out of cover towards them.

A blazing, outstretched hand met the nearest Goblin, disintegrating it in a pulse of Solar Light. The next – a Harpy – was similarly reduced to ashes by a blast from her Fusion Rifle. This drew the attention of the rest of the machines, who turned half their forces to focus on the Warlock.

Running to avoid the initial barrage of laser fire, the Warlock tossed a solar grenade in the middle of their ranks, creating a fiery vortex that tore apart most of the Vex frames.

Only a few were left now; a handful of Hobgoblins that shielded themselves and a Minotaur, who’s energy shields had taken the brunt of the blast. The Minotaur was the first to respond, aiming its torch hammer ahead of the Warlock and firing a blast that threw her to the ground. She tried to bring her Fusion Rifle on it, but the weapon took too long to charge as the giant robot fired another shot.

This time the round made direct contact, slamming the Guardian against the wall behind her with enough force to fracture the concrete. The impact knocked the wind out of the Warlock, sending a sharp pain all throughout her body as she tasted blood in the back of her mouth. With only seconds to react before the next blast incinerated her, the Warlock channelled the Light through her palms and boots in order to propel herself off the wall with a powerful burst of glide.

She barrelled straight towards the Minotaur, closing the distance between them in under a second as she slowed herself with the Light, kicking her feet forward to deliver a swift high kick to the machine’s firearm. The blow knocked the Minotaur’s torch hammer upwards, sending the next round from the explosive weapon into the air.

A second kick to the chest caused the Minotaur to stagger backwards as the void round exploded harmlessly above them.

As soon as her feet hit the ground, the Warlock drew her scout rifle on the metal giant and fired five times: twice in its leg to cripple it, once to blow off its shoulder and twice in its chest. Milky radiolaria poured out of the bullet holes as it slumped backwards after the final shot – lifeless.

The Warlock was given no time to rest as the three remaining Hobgoblins came out of stasis just as the Minotaur fell, aiming their line rifles at the Sunsinger. She aimed her own rifle back at them, but did not manage to pull the trigger before one of the Vex snipers flashed with a dazzling light.

At the centre of the flare was a dagger, sticking out of the Hobgoblin’s metal chest. A second flash of light followed it as the Hunter suddenly blinked in front of it, her hand on the dagger as she yanked it out, rolled over the Hobgoblin’s shoulder and took a swipe at one of the other Hobgoblin’s legs.

The metal sniper lost its footing as its legs were cut out from under it, giving the Bladedancer the time she needed to reach around and stab the first Hobgoblin in its core, spilling white fluids all over the ground.

This left her open to the one remaining Hobgoblin, however, which stole the opportunity and fired a round that struck the Hunter in her side. She yelped in pain as the beam of charged particles pierced a hole through her abdomen, and went down clutching the Hobgoblin she just stabbed.

Tumbling with the corpse of the first Hobgoblin beneath her, the Warlock now had a clear view of their remaining adversary. With one shot to the head and one to its core, the last Hobgoblin fell to pieces before them. The Steps were silent once more as the Warlock gingerly limped to her companion.

“Westmark,” she called out as she rolled the Hunter off the metal frame. “Westmark, are you alright? Talk to me!”

The Hunter, Aeon Westmark, did not respond verbally as her shoulders trembled and she gasped inside her helmet, her whole body shaking.

_She’s going into shock!_ Worried for the state of her companion, the Sunsinger checked the wound in her side. _Complete penetration,_ she noted, taking off her helmet to get a clearer look. _Wound’s completely cauterised, too. No vital organs in proximity of the wound…so…_

“It’s not fatal. You shouldn’t even be in that much pain. What is it?” The Warlock, an Awoken, assessed bluntly.

With what sounded like choked gasps, the Hunter reached for her helmet’s release with both hands. Only when the helmet was off did the Warlock realise that she was not choking, but laughing. Aeon’s pale complexion was crinkled with mirth as her bright-orange hair tumbled out of her helmet in locks. “Absolutely nothing!” she laughed. “I’m having the time of my life!”

Sighing in annoyance, the Warlock pushed herself to her knees next to the Bladedancer. “Consider yourself fortunate – an inch closer and that round would have punctured your stomach. Then there would’ve been the fifty-fifty chance that the plasma wouldn’t cauterise the wound in time, causing your stomach acids to dissolve you from the inside.”

“Oh, you’re such a mood killer, Mira,” Aeon replied with a grimace as she pushed herself into a sitting position. “Can’t you just have fun for once out in the field? I mean, this place is gorgeous and I’m gorgeous and you’re-- ah, shit!” Aeon suddenly fell back to the ground, clutching her shoulder and features twisting with pain.

“Aeon? What is it?” Mira exclaimed, worry back on her face as she leaned over the Human woman.

“I think one of those Goblins clipped my shoulder-- it really stings,” one hazel eye opened to look pleadingly at Mira. “Tell me if it’s bad.”

Leaning over the Hunter, Mira gingerly peeled away the hands over her shoulder to examine it for subdermal damage. She ran her thumb over the armour multiple times but didn’t find so much as a scorch mark. Frowning, she turned her attention back to Aeon. “There’s no wound here. Are you sure-”

Before she could finish, two arms wrapped themselves around the back of her neck and pulled her flush against the Hunter. There was no grace to the way their lips met, nor the dance they took part in for the few seconds before Aeon relaxed her grip around the Sunsinger’s neck.

Mira pulled away as soon as the opportunity presented itself. Smirking down at Aeon – who smirked right back, she rolled her amber Awoken eyes before leaning back down for a second, longer kiss. The feeling of the Hunter laughing against her mouth sent an electric trill down her spine that had nothing to do with her Arc polarity.

This time when she pulled away, Mira smacked the Bladedancer in her shoulder – hard. “Focus,” she chided. “We’re getting close to the source of that distress signal.”

“Urgh, it’s just around here somewhere and we’ve taken care of all the Vex,” Aeon whined with an exaggerated groan, throwing an arm across Mira’s waist. “The small fry'll come out once it picks up our Ghosts’ pings. Let’s have some fun until then.”

Just as she was about to retort, the hair on the back of her neck prickled as static filled the air. A second later, the crackle of a Vex portal opening could be heard – growing louder by the second. Turning to stare up the slope to the top of The Endless Steps, the Sunsinger saw the edges of a smoky static cloud forming in flashes of light.

Pushing herself to her feet, Mira held out a hand for Aeon without taking her eyes off the flashing lights at the top of the steps. “C’mon, Westmark. Job’s not done yet.”

With a sigh, Aeon accepted the hand and together, the two Guardians jogged the rest of the way up the steps. When they reached the top, they were met by a squad of Goblins led by a Vex Cyclops – standing guard before the now-inactive Vex Gate at the top of the slope.

As soon as they crested the ridge, the Vex began firing on them and advancing on their position.

Firing a few potshots to cover their retreat, Mira and Aeon managed to take out a couple Goblins as they crowded behind a concrete block to the right of the Steps. “Is that a Cyclops?!” Aeon shouted over the repeated booms of explosive Void rounds from the Vex squad.

“Yeah, exciting isn’t it?” Mira replied half-heartedly as she peeked around the edge of their cover. The Goblins were just now descending the stairs, and would be on them in a matter of seconds. “I can take out the Cyclops, but I’ll need you to keep the Goblins busy.”

“I’ll do you one better,” Aeon remarked as she drew her knife, holding it up in the air as a bolt of lightning came down and energised her whole form. The blade she held in her hand was now twice as big and nearly three times as long. “Kiss for good luck?” she asked with a cocky smirk.

“And get a kilowatt of Arc energy to the face?” Mira asked rhetorically, shaking her head while chuckling. In her free hands, she summoned her prized rocket launcher – The Cure – and gave it an affectionate pat. “Besides, I don’t believe in luck.”

Aeon rolled her eyes at that. “Whatever.” She breathed out before rounding the corner and flinging her knife at the nearest Vex drone, blinking away in a flash of light. Mira waited with her back against the wall, listening to the sounds of destruction just around the corner for a few seconds as a smile crept up her face.

“I like her.” The Warlock mused as she loaded her weapon with heavy ammunition synths.

“I know,” Mira’s Ghost, replied over their personal communication frequency. “That’s what disturbs me.”

“For what reason might that be?”

“The last time you _liked_ someone like this didn’t exactly pan out so well,” An explosion of Arc lightning further up the stairs interrupted the Ghost. “I’m not exactly thrilled to see how this ends.”

Several deep booms indicated that Aeon had garnered the attention of the Cyclops, which was now taking blind shots at the Hunter. “Oh, she’s mature. She’ll get over it – until then,” she held the rocket launcher close to her chest, patting it gently as she sized up the jump she’d have to make. “The clown cartridge and I have some work to do.”

Without waiting for any cue, Mira leapt and activated her glide, which carried her to the top of the stone column and gave her a perfect line-of-sight on the Cyclops. The large, stationary Vex unit turned its attention to her immediately, taking its aim off Aeon as it charged another blast.

Mira reacted quicker – emptying the rocket canisters in her weapon, with an extra rocket materialising in the chamber thanks to the special cartridge. Each round blew off a part of the Cyclops’ armour in a blast of Arc energy; shredding it down to its bare, exposed core and inner chassis.

When the dust settled from the final blast, the Cyclops slumped forward like a wilted flower – the light in its eye dying out. Sighing with relief, Mira ejected the empty cartridges from her rocket launcher as she floated down to join the Bladedancer on the lower landing, finishing off the last of the Goblins.

With her knife in both hands, Aeon brought it down on a prone Goblin – stabbing it through the back and spilling radiolarian fluid everywhere. Mira cleared her throat to announce her presence before speaking. “I think we’re clear.”

“Yeah, just took down the last of the Goblins,” Aeon replied, smiling as she stood. “Hey, check out what Jolly found trans…whatever-ified in one of them.” She continued as a purple Engram materialised in her open palm.

“Impressive,” Mira chuckled as she began climbing the steps. “Let’s see if the Cyclops had anything on it to match that find.”

“It’s mine if I find it first!” Aeon suddenly cried as she sprinted up the steps past the Warlock.

Not one to be outdone, Mira ran after the young Hunter.

When she reached the top of the slope, however, both Guardians froze as the corpse of the Cyclops began to groan and whine with sounds of deep mechanical strain. Purple light returned to its central, exposed eye as it locked onto the Hunter and emitted a high-pitched noise as its light became blinding.

“Aeon – move!” Mira exclaimed as she rushed to push the Hunter to the side, but Aeon did not respond.

She was frozen with shock – staring down the barrel of a cannon powerful enough to incinerate her and her Ghost, if they were both so unfortunate.

In a split-second decision, Mira shoved the Bladedancer aside just as the Cyclops fired a beam of unstable Void energy from its eye. The laser was like a pulsar from a new star and she could feel the intensity of its radiation long before it reached her.

With nowhere else to go, Mira held her arms out in front of her and turned away from her impending doom. A cold feeling ran down the Awoken’s entire body – as if all the blood had suddenly rushed to her feet.

Strangely enough, however, Mira swore she could feel a strange warmth in her heart, as well as an incessant buzzing in her head.

The blast hit her, but instead of washing over her body like a wave of plasma, it stopped when it met her hands – pushing against them like torrent of water. She opened her eyes and was shocked to find the beam being refracted in three directions away from her. Just an inch in front of her outstretched hands, a shell of energy protected her from the beam – refracting it like a prism and splitting the beam into three smaller beams that shot out around her.

“Holy cats, Mira!” she heard Aeon exclaim without taking her eyes off the Cyclops. “How are you doing that?!”

“I don’t know!” Mira shouted back as the beam pushed her to the edge of the landing, threatening to knock her down The Steps.

“Well, you’re doing a great job!” though they were meant as encouragement, the Hunter’s words grated on Mira’s nerves as she strained to push back the beam, causing one of the split plasma streams to nearly slice the Hunter in half.

Beads of sweat formed on the Sunsinger’s brows as she felt her concentration waning. Nausea threatened to overtake her as her breathing became more erratic and her vision blurred.

Just across from her, however, bouts of purple fire began erupting from the Cyclops’ central eye like geysers. Very soon, the whine of the laser took on an even higher pitch as the Cyclops began to rattle while cracks formed along its body.

Those cracks grew larger and larger before the Vex sentry finally exploded in a ball of fire – flinging pieces of its frame across The Steps. A particularly large, jagged shard flew over Mira close enough to slice a couple hairs on her head, clattering as it fell down the slope.

Just like it, Mira suddenly felt the strength leave her body as her legs gave out from under her. She would have followed the chunk of shrapnel down the Endless Steps if it weren’t for Aeon, who dashed over and caught the falling Warlock at the last second, lowering her gently to the ground.

“Easy! I gotcha,” Aeon cooed soothingly as she brushed some damp clumps of hair out of Mira’s face. The ginger ran a thumb over Mira’s cheek as her breathing evened out, rubbing in slow, relaxing circles. “How’d you do that?”

“I’m…not sure,” she croaked out, her throat suddenly bone-dry. “Lumiere.” She called as she held out a hand. Her Ghost, now named Lumiere, responded by materialising a metal drinking canteen in her hand as he appeared.

“That was incredible, Mira,” Lumiere commented as the Sunsinger took a generous gulp of water. “I was reading your energy signatures as you were deflecting that beam! Your electron and neutrino counts were off the charts – I didn’t know the Light could act that way!”

“Can you figure out exactly _what_ it is I did?”

The Ghost paused as it considered the Sunsinger’s request. “It’ll take me some time to make sense of these readings, but I think I can figure out exactly what it was you were doing - theoretically.”

“Well, I suppose I’ll accept theoretical,” she breathed out, tossing the canteen back to her Ghost – who caught it out of the air with a transmat beam – as she pushed herself to her feet. “Now let’s go and find that--”

“Um, excuse me?” A timid voice whispered, coming from the other edge of the landing. Aeon suddenly made a grab for her shotgun and jerked it towards the source of the noise with one hand.

Out of the corner of her eye, Mira saw a shape dart behind the inactive Vex gate, in the direction where the voice had come from. Recognising the soft mechanical ticking of the object, Mira lowered the Hunter’s weapon with a gentle hand. “Wait!”

With her other hand, she directed her Ghost to investigate the disturbance, silently reaffirming the command with a thought. Lumiere complied without question, darting behind the Vex gate while the two Guardians watched silently.

A few seconds passed by before the Warlock’s Ghost returned from behind the gate, with another smaller Ghost in tow. The second Ghost had an ice-blue shell and trailed a few feet behind Lumiere, nervously twitching its shell around.

By now, Aeon had decided to lay the shotgun on the ground at her side, instead reaching out an offering hand to the new Ghost. “Hey there, little fella.”

The Ghost hesitated for a moment before approaching the Hunter. “H-hello? Are…you two Guardians?”

“We are,” Mira answered for the both of them. “What’s your designation, Ghost?”

“One-nine-three-one-twelve,” the Ghost recited with more confidence. “But the other unpaired Ghosts in the City network call me Snow.”

“Snow,” Mira repeated, watching as the Ghost’s eye brightened in joy. “We received your distress signal. Are you alright?”

“Y-yes. I was able to hide myself from the Vex, though if you hadn’t shown up I don’t know how long I-” it paused, floating over to hover over Aeon’s outstretched hand. “Are you two alright? I don’t often see Guardians in action –you two look pretty roughed up.”

“Pssh, that was barely a thrashing. We do this _every_ day.” Aeon replied with a dismissive wave and chuckle.

“We’re here to escort you back to The Tower, or the nearest Vanguard FOB – if you’d prefer.” Mira continued.

The Ghost, Snow, glanced between the two Guardians in silence for a moment. “Thank you,” it spoke with wariness in its voice as it turned the stare off at the ocean beyond the plateau. “But I can’t go with you. Not yet – not when I’m so close.”

Mira and Aeon shared a concerned glance as the Bladedancer turned her attention back to the Ghost. “So close to what?”

“My Guardian!” it exclaimed in excitement, loud enough to cause the Hunter to flinch. “Sorry. For the past two days, I’ve been tracing a signal across Venus that pings out over regular intervals. I…think it’s a message – a call for help from my Guardian.”

“How can your Guardian be sending you messages? They’re still, well, dead.” Lumiere asked.

“I don’t know, but I’m the only unpaired Ghost on Venus that’s been able to pick it up and I’ve never even heard of the frequency until two days ago. The Vanguard scouts also say they can’t detect it, so it has to be my Guardian calling out to me!”

“What-”

“Say you’re telling us the truth,” Mira interrupted Aeon, giving the Ghost her full attention. “Where’s this signal leading you?”

“Twenty hours ago, the signal was intercepted by a Vex data spire further along the coast,” Snow continued his explanation as he drifted towards the edge of The Steps. Gathering her strength, Mira moved to follow the pygmy Ghost with Aeon’s help. “It stopped shortly after that. I’ve been trying to get there ever since,” Snow turned back to face the Guardians and for some reason, Mira swore the Ghost’s optic looked bigger than it was a moment ago. “I thought that if I could hack into the network without the Vex noticing, I could find out the source of the signal.”

“But the Vex _did_ find you,” Mira corrected, causing the Ghost to tilt its head down in shame. “You got as far as the Endless Steps before you had to hunker down and call for a rescue.”

“Mira!” Aeon chided in a surprised, offended tone.

_She’s good at feeling for others,_ Mira thought to herself and Lumiere. “I’m just stating the facts. The Steps are at the edge of Vanguard operational territory – you were exceptionally lucky we came as soon as we did.”

“I know. I’m sorry,” Snow apologised in a tone weighed down by sadness. “It’s just…I’ve been searching for my Guardian for _so long_. I know I’m close.” The light-cyan Ghost turned back to the two Guardians with determination in its eye. “I can’t give up now, so I’m not going with you until I find the source of that signal.”

Briefly, Mira pondered the prospect of hitting Snow with a Ghost restraint – theoretically, of course, she didn’t have one – or asking Lumiere to stun the smaller Ghost with a neuralising beam – _if he knew how to_. It was clear that the Ghost would refuse to cooperate with them until it got what it wanted. This would likely lead to a struggle and escape attempt if they forced it along.

Out in enemy territory, an unwilling or resistant ward would prove to be dangerous to all of them.

With a sigh, Mira held up her hand to summon her Ghost, resolving to carry out their only viable option. “Ghost?” she asked, speaking her question without having to say it aloud.

“I’m not detecting any unusual signals – on any of my known frequencies.” He replied, expanding his shell to tune his frequency receiver.

“I don’t think Jolly’s getting anything either,” Aeon added, an orange-coloured Ghost in her outstretched hand also scanning for signals. “Jolly, do you know anything about this spire Snow’s talking about?”

“Only from mapping data,” the Ghost replied in a feminine voice. “It’s a massive Vex tower further along the coastline – right at the edge of the Golden Beach.”

“Any designation?”

“Guys from the Cryptarchy just call it The Silereum,” Jolly turned to her Guardian and did her best impression of a shrug before continuing. “It’s said to be a Vex fortress and the largest hub of network data this side of the region-- not as heavily guarded as The Citadel, but we can still expect resistance.”

“I know what I heard! Please, you have to believe me.” Snow pleaded with the Guardians, his shell drooping in sorrow as the silence stretched on.

Eventually, Mira breathed out a puff of air as she weighed up her options, again. “What do you think, Westmark?” she asked.

Humming to herself while flipping the knife in her hand, Aeon glanced at the two Ghosts by her side while her mouth twisted in deep contemplation. “I think…I’ve still got enough spare ammo to go another round and,” she caught the knife with a flourish as she brought it to point at Mira. “You haven’t used your Supercharge this entire time.”

“And that means?”

“It means we’ve been holding back in case we ran into heavier trouble on our way back – y’know, like you _taught me to_?”

The Sunsinger let out a satisfied huff as she batted the knifepoint away gently. “You’re not wrong,” she then turned to regard the little Ghost they had found. “Fine, Snow. We’ll escort you to the spire so that you can find your mystery signal. After that, we return to the Vanguard Base in Maat Mons. Deal?”

“Deal!” the Ghost chirped, spinning its shell as it did a flip. Aeon laughed at the display of joy as she activated her wrist-pad.

“I’ll call the ships in to pick us up outside the Waking Ruins. You’d better stick close to me on the way there,” She said, addressing the smaller of the Ghosts. “And _you’d_ better show the little fella some A-grade Ghost hospitality.” Aeon continued, addressing her own Ghost.

Floating over to Jolly, Snow hesitantly made an electronic chirp by way of greeting. In response, Jolly floated over to bump her shell affectionately against the smaller Ghost. Letting out a light laugh, the blue Ghost bumped her right back as they dematerialised into Aeon’s personal storage.

“Salvage any ammunition or equipment you can from the battlefield. I’ll radio ahead to Venus Ops and War Cult to update them in case we need backup,” Mira ordered as she held Lumiere closer to her face, waiting on him to patch her communications. “Chances are we’re going to make a lot of noise by the time this is over.”

As she spoke, several streaks of lightning crackled in the yellow-tinted atmosphere from an approaching storm. Along the distant shore, the flashes of light illuminated the shape of an uneven black tower – standing out like a fang from the Venusian surface.


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the mission taking an unexpected turn, Mira prepares herself for the worst as she travels to a nearby Vex fortress at the request of a wayward Ghost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: What's this? A new chapter out in under two weeks?!
> 
> I know. I'm surprised myself. I usually don't write so...vigilantly. I blame all the kudos and positive feedback.
> 
> Also, something I meant to note in the beginning but forgot to; each chapter is going to be written from a single character's perspective exclusively. I'm giving this style a try, because last time it felt like I wasn't giving each member of Fireteam Roman enough of a style when it came to their narrative.
> 
> I hope to be able to make things seem more like they're being told from the characters' perspectives - now and in the future.
> 
> Anyway, enough of that.

**The Golden Beach, En route to The Silereum, Ishtar Sink, Venus…**

“Aeon, hang back for a bit. I’m going to circle The Silereum and take a couple scans to see what we’re up against,” Mira ordered as she flipped a switch to activate her jumpship’s low-frequency scanners. “I’d recommend going up into lower orbit to avoid detection.”

“Pfft, forget that,” Aeon replied flippantly. “I’ll just go to ground and turn all the non-essentials on my ship off. I wanna take a walk on that beach.”

Mira sighed, knowing there was no point in fighting about this with the young Hunter. “Fine. Just don’t draw attention to yourself and keep your jumpship’s engines warm.”

“I’m sorry – you don’t sound very impressed by the beach full of _gold sand_!”

“Firstly, I’ve been there before - not very impressed the first time. Secondly, it’s not pure gold, so it’s value as a commodity in The City’s only a little more than Glimmer - even less impressive,” Aeon’s only response was to let out a long, drawn out sigh. “Remember; keep your engines warm – I want you off the ground as soon as I give the word.”

“Yes, ma’am,” The Warlock could hear the mock-salute in her words. “For the record, though, shouldn’t _I_ be the one running the scans? I mean, I _am_ the scout here.”

“Yes, but this is _my_ operation and my jumpship has better ground scanners than yours. I can get a more accurate reading.”

“But-”

“Cutting comms,” Mira announced before turning off external communications to her ship, interrupting whatever argument Aeon was going to make.

Mira knew she should have felt bad for essentially hanging up on Aeon, but she quickly silenced that line of thought while preparing the scanners. _It was necessary_ , she reasoned; flying within scanning range of a Vex fortress ran the risk of the machines detecting her transmission signal and going on high alert. Silence meant stealth on the battlefield, and that went double for an enemy that could hear secure telemetry feeds.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that.” Lumiere spoke up over the Sunsinger’s private channel.

With a few adjustments to their course, Mira’s jumpship – _Laughing Behind Your Back_ – ascended towards the upper atmosphere on autopilot. Thick, dark storm clouds quickly blocked her line of sight with the jagged tower once she crossed into the stratosphere. “Get used to what?” she asked while aligning her scanner with The Silereum.

“Hearing people refer to you as ‘Ma’am’. It doesn’t fit you at all.” There was a tinkle of amusement to the Ghost’s voice as Mira adjusted her ship’s flight path to fly in a wide circle around the spire.

“I like it; makes me sound like I’m actually in charge, for once,” with the flight path charted, Mira focused on tuning the scanner. “If I may be so inclined to ask, what don’t you like about it?”

“I never said I didn’t like it – I just said it doesn’t suit you. It’s too…formal.” Lumiere fumbled for the right word. “You’d call Ikora ma’am. You’d use it for someone like Miss Levante. You-- you’re too young to be a _ma’am_.”

“I’m hundreds of years old, Lumiere,” Double-checking that the Vex had not detected her scans, Mira leaned back into her seat, relaxing while the ship did its work. “I think that more than qualifies me to be called ‘ _ma’am_ ’.”

“Maybe so, but it’s only been a few years since I raised you.”

“Twilight Gap was half a century ago. By your own logic, that makes me forty-five years old,” she quirked one eyebrow at her Ghost, shooting him a snarky look. “That’s more than a _few years_ ago, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Not to me it isn’t. I’ve spent my entire life looking for you,” an alarm began to sound, warning the duo of an impending electrical surge in the area they were flying through. Mira reached to turn the alarm off, but Lumiere beat her to it with an activation beam. “Compared to how long you’ve been, well, _you_ , forty-five years isn’t a lot.”

“This isn’t one of those ‘I’m more experienced than you, so you should trust my judgement,’ lectures, is it?” Mira asked with an annoyed sigh.

“We both know you’re the brains _and_ the brawns in the duo, Mira. All I’m saying is that I don’t think you’re cut out for the leadership role.”

“Says you,” the Awoken snapped back as she closed her eyes. “So far I seem to be doing a _perfectly fine_ job as Aeon’s field guide.”

The Ghost sighed. “Yeah, after dropping three other apprentices.”

There was a moment of tense silence as Mira mulled over Lumiere’s words. It was true; Mira did dismiss the last three new recruits the FWC sent her way, but _only_ because they couldn’t keep up with her demands during missions.

_If they can’t even keep up with me, they’ll only slow the War Cult down._

With no counter argument ready, her eyes idly drifting to the console in front of her. Still, there was only so much interest she could garner out of partial scanning data, so her mind inevitably began to wander.

And wander it did - all the way back to her fight with the Cyclops.

“So what was that back there, anyway?” she found herself muttering into the empty cabin of her jumpship.

“What was what?” Lumiere responded, materialising at the Warlock’s side and looking into her eyes. Mira simply stared back at her Ghost with an expectant look, watching as he ticked his yellow and blue shell while in thought. “Oh, right. Blocking that eye laser from the cyclops head-on. Honestly? I’m as stumped as you. Never seen anything like it before.”

“I wasn’t blocking it. It felt more like…” A streak of lightning traced the clouds above the jumpship as Mira searched for the right word. “Like I was deflecting-- or, or redirecting it,” the Sunsinger locked her amber eyes with the warm-blue gaze of her Ghost. “You said you were recording my energy levels when it happened. Show me.”

Immediately, the display on the flight console blinked to display a chart of Light and radiation readings. Leaning forward to get a better look at the readings, Mira raked her eyes up and down the information before her several times while the ship was rocked by the occasional clap of thunder.

_Ion concentrations are nominal…only a twentieth of the radiation from the blast seemed to have passed the barrier – which is good, means less downtime for recovery when I get back…that’s strange._ Confused, Mira re-read the same line of data two more times before voicing her concern. “How odd. These Light level readings seem…steady. They’re never this stable – even when I’m using Radiance.”

“Yeah, I noticed that too,” Lumiere replied, anxious curiosity in its tone. “What do you think it means?”

“Well, either it doesn’t actually take that much Light to redirect a beam of energy with more concentrated power than a nuclear bomb…” The Awoken thought aloud, idly tapping her lip with a finger. “…Or I was barely using the Light at all.” Mira mused, her eyes widening at the implication behind the unexpected act. “Do you think it could’ve been-”

Before the Warlock could finish her question, the console flickered back over to its preliminary scans of The Silereum with a chime. Lumiere floated closer to it, gathering the readings with a scanning beam. “Looks like we got what we could before Vex sensors started noticing something. The scan stopped just before the Vex could pinpoint our location.”

“Seems like we’ll have to make do,” Mira sighed as she deactivated the autopilot and steered her ship back to the beach. “Filter for tactical data and parse it through to me once you’re done.”

“Of course.”

“Lumiere?”

“Yes, Mira?”

“Did you also get any physiological scans of me back on The Steps?”

The Ghost took a moment to respond as it juggled multiple tasks at once. “I did, but the readings are still raw data – it’ll take me a few hours to make it readable.”

“The mystery continues, then.” Reducing the throttle and angling the nose of her ship downwards, the _‘Laughing Behind Your Back’_ dipped below the layer of clouds and back into view of the Venus landscape. “Aeon, we’re on approach. Get airborne and form up on my position – we’re storming The Silereum.”

“Aww, but I just touched down!” the Hunter whined over the other end, which caused one corner of the Awoken’s lips to twitch at the beginnings of a grin. Not trusting her voice, Mira remained silent until Aeon eventually grumbled out a, “Fine. Let me just get a couple handfuls of this sand in a jar.” Before mumbling out something too soft to hear.

Switching over to her tactical data immediately after closing communications, Mira poured over the digital representation of the Vex tower. “What do the scans tell us?”

“The Vex at The Silereum are registering as Hezen Protective, which means we can expect a _lot_ of small arms fire. Scans of the interior are a little muddled, but it looks like we can expect at least twenty Vex drones on-site, with many more just waiting to get the drop on us,” Lumiere explained as it read off the data on a nearby secondary monitor. “It also looks like the data nexus is in a chamber near the peak of the spire.”

“Any way we can shortcut to this chamber?”

“No such luck, unfortunately. I’m not detecting any viable landing sites near the top, and if I try to drop us off, the Vex will have more than enough time to fire on our ship. Our only option is to climb the spire itself.”

“And cut off our only escape,” Mira finished with a sigh. Considering all this new information for a moment, the Warlock began to steer her jumpship back to the Vex fortress. “Alright, find us a place to land as close to the drop zone as you can without putting our ships at risk. Transmit the coordinates to Aeon and tell her to disembark there.”

“Done,” The yellow and blue Ghost chirped as it glanced between his Guardian and the yellowish rain that had begun to fall on the cockpit. “I assume you have some sort of plan in mind?”

“Lumiere, have some faith in me,” The Sunsinger deadpanned. “I’m one of the brightest young minds in the Future War Cult. I picked up the Sunsinger discipline in record time _and_ can perform calculus mentally,” Mira listed off with a confident smirk as they sped towards enemy territory. “But to answer your question: of course, I have a plan.”

* * *

“Rush the spire?!” Aeon yelled hysterically over the sound of gunfire. “That was your plan?!”

“It was the last thing the Vex would have expected!” Mira yelled back over the roar of gunfire all around her. In one hand the Sunsinger primed another grenade to throw at a pair of approaching Minotaurs, firing wildly with her scout rifle in the other.

“Obviously _not_!” Aeon stated before letting out a yelp when a Goblin rounded the far side of the pillar she was hiding behind and made a grab for her gun. Reflexively, the Bladedancer twirled around while drawing her knife and took the Goblin’s head off.

“It worked the last time!” Mira snapped back as she watched Aeon struggle with the frantic, headless Goblin before managing to shove it over the nearby ledge, sending it tumbling to the ground below.

After reconvening, the two Guardians flew their jumpships along the coast until they came upon the cliff overlooking the waters below – and The Silereum. From there, their ships flew them close enough to the main entrance of the Vex fortress that they were able to transmat down to the slope leading up to the spire.

It proved easy enough at first to enter the spire, ascending the uneven stone staircase spiralling all the way to the top of the main chamber. The Vex did not seem immediately aware of their presence – a fact Mira and Aeon took full advantage of when they stormed the front entryway and fired on the unsuspecting Vex guarding it. It didn’t take long for the Vex to respond to the new threat, however, and by the time they were halfway up The Silereum, dozens of Vex were materialising around them at a time.

Their advance slowed as the two Guardians met a growing resistance, needing to cover both their flanks while simultaneously watching out for snipers. They made it as far as the top of the stairs, which led the two Guardians out onto a platform on the outside of the spire which served as an outlook, before finding themselves without a way forward.

“I think this is as far as we go, Mira,” Aeon yelled back from behind cover just across the landing. “I don’t see any stairs to get us to the top of the tower!”

“All part of the plan, I presume?” Lumiere asked rhetorically as a Goblin tried to sneak up along Mira’s left, and was rewarded by a blast of Solar energy.

“Quiet, Lumiere!” Mira snapped at her Ghost. “I thought you said that there a path leading up to the top from here.”

“I did – we both saw the scans!” Lumiere argued back. “The Vex must have reconfigured the spire when they detected us.”

Frustrated beyond belief, Mira forced herself to pause and take in her surroundings. Her eyes hastily scanned every inch of the Vex architecture around them for signs of a gravity lift, a portal, some giant floating blocks or-

The Warlock’s eyes landed on a set of metal rings laid within one another, centred around a red core resembling a Gatelord’s eye along the nearby wall. The contraption – seemingly held together by a magnetic field and support spikes along its back – practically _screamed_ ‘control panel’.

“Maybe that will open a path for us.” Mira muttered to herself before activating her glide to float over the squad of Vex massing nearby. Summoning The Cure to her hands, she launched two rockets at the machines from the air, scattering their forces – and limbs – across the landing.

“Hold the line, Aeon. I’m going to see what this does.” Mira ordered as she landed at a sprint, dashing over to the wheel.

“Oh, sure! That _almost_ sounds like a plan.” the end of that sentence came out as a shriek as a Minotaur teleported around her cover and brought its torch hammer down to crush her.

Mira didn’t linger to find out the Bladedancer’s fate – they would both die if she didn’t act quickly. Rushing over to the set of wheels, the Sunsinger reached out her hands, but hesitated at the last second. She stayed absolutely still for all of a second swallowing her resolve and gripping the uneven metal rings.

Nothing happened – which was fortunate, but the rings would not budge when Mira tried to turn them. At the risk of acting like a Titan, Mira tugged on the rings harder to see if they would budge. After a second of straining her arms with no results to show, Mira stepped back from the mechanism to re-evaluate her approach.

“Um, maybe I can help with that,” A small voice by her side offered. Raising an arm, Mira found the Ghost that led them here hiding by her hip. Tentatively, Snow darted forward and began scanning the red core at the centre of the wheels. “These control panels need a bypass to deactivate the physical locks. Difficult to replicate by a Guardian, but no trouble for a Ghost.”

“I…could’ve figured that out.” Lumiere grumbled over their private link.

“Then why didn’t you?” Mira muttered back, keeping her voice low as she watched Snow work.

“Ok, it’s unlocked!” Snow suddenly chimed, drawing Mira’s attention back to the situation. “Just so you know, though, I have no idea what this does.”

“I’ll make an educated guess.” She quipped before shoving the Ghost aside to grab the different wheels. Giving them a weak tug in either direction, Mira began spinning them around, finding that they offered little resistance.

It felt like she was playing with a giant, three-part combination lock.

At first, Mira did not notice any obvious changes as she fiddled with the wheels, trying out all sorts of patterns; lining up the spikes, arranging them based on missing segments, even trying to form symbols with the etchings.

It was while she was trying out her third guess at the combination when she notice a sound coming from above every time she turned the centremost wheel – like stone bricks grinding against one another.

Looking to her left, the Sunsinger squinted at a section of the spire that stuck out against the otherwise smooth section of outer wall. Watching it as she turned the middle wheel, the Warlock’s eyes widened as the cube retracted back into the tower.

“This access point reconfigures sections of the spire!” Mira exclaimed as she began turning the wheels with more fervour, eyeing the parts of the spire that shifted in response to her adjustments.

Her moment of excitement was abruptly interrupted when the Warlock’s position was peppered with fire. Sticking out a hand to shield Snow from stray shots, Mira drew her scout rifle in one hand and fired a few pot shots at the squad of Goblins and Hobgoblin as she thumbed her communicator with the other.

“Aeon, I need cover if I’m going to work. Could you-”

“On it!” Aeon chimed in response. A couple seconds later, the squad of Vex drones were blown apart by a blast from the Hunter’s grenade launcher. “I’m down to one barrel. Better hurry!” she warned before returned to lobbing grenades at the Vex.

The robots were becoming more numerous by the second, with more pouring up from The Silereum’s central chamber while squads occasionally teleported in from the other side of the landing.

Fortunately, this worked to Aeon’s advantage as she took out groups of Vex with her grenade launcher.

With the distraction gone, Mira turned to the task of reconfiguring the side of the spire into a suitable staircase. She quickly worked out a pattern in the mechanism, eventually forming a path of outstretched, traversable stone ledges that would take them to the above landing.

Not as easy to climb as stairs, but not impossible either – for a Guardian.

“Aeon, I have a path to the top open. Meet me-” Mira barked into her communicator but was interrupted as a scream of pain came through from the other end of the line. Turning around, Mira felt the hairs on her neck stand when she saw the Hunter – on her back, with a trio of Hobgoblins charging their line rifles across from her.

_Can’t ignore the Hobgoblins just because they go into stasis, Westmark._ Mira remembered telling the Bladedancer earlier that day. With Aeon prone on the ground, there was little chance the robot snipers would miss their marks.

Reacting quickly, Mira raised her scout rifle and fired on them to draw their attention to her. She was a second too late, however, as two managed to discharged their shots before Mira could send them into stasis – one particle beam breaking against Aeon’s armour while the other pierced her head.

The Warlock sighed to herself as she moved to finish off the curled-up Hobgoblins. She waited until they left stasis to put a bullet through each of their heads and chest cavities.

With the threat out of the way, Mira jogged over to the fallen Guardian and waited for her Ghost to appear. The revival process only took a couple seconds, but it took nearly half a minute to help Aeon regain her bearings.

“Get up, Westmark! This is no time for lying around!” Mira grunted as she pulled the Hunter into a sitting position.

“Ya think?” the Hunter grunted out as she felt along her helmet. “Shit. That line rifle stuff really cuts deep, huh?” Aeon thought aloud as she touched the hole through the front of her helmet – right over her forehead - and followed it to the one in the back of her hood.

“Your Ghost will be able to patch it up as we go.” Mira reasoned, trying to get the Hunter to her feet.

Smoothing a hand over her FWC-issued Astrolord Vest, Aeon turned to the Warlock as she remarked, “The other round didn’t go through.” The scorch marks where the Hobgoblins had shot her stood out like a blemish across the dark-blue of her otherwise well-maintained cuirass.

“Armour from the War Cult’s foundries will do that for you – they’re made to withstand things with a lot more kick than a line rifle.” Mira explained with a hint of pride as she brushed a hand down her Infinite Line Robes.

Aeon’s glance shifted from her vest to the Warlock. “Then why’d they only give me the chest piece?”

As the Sunsinger opened her mouth to reply, a flare – burning with a purple light – landed at their feet. It took the Warlock a second too long to recognise the slap grenade, her eyes widening with the revelation as she prepared to dive for cover.

Aeon, however, acted more decisively. Squealing with alarm, the Hunter kicked the grenade like a soccer ball, sending the explosive skipping across the ground a couple times before detonating harmlessly off the edge of the landing.

Turning to assess the new threat, Mira’s mind to return to their current situation as she took note of the squad of Vex that had just teleported in. When she did, she looked directly at Aeon and rushed out her next words. “You want the rest of that armour? Then earn it.” With that, Mira turned and took off for the first ledge of the path up the spire. “Meet me at the top!” she called back before focusing all her attention on the makeshift stepstones.

Stumbling on the next ledge, Mira quickly recovered and pushed onwards. “I’ve got the data nexus on my radar,” she heard Snow announce next to her. “I’ll fly on ahead!” the small star-shaped robot darted by the Sunsinger faster than she’s ever seen a Ghost fly before – going straight up the spire.

“Hey, Snow! Wait a minute!” She called after the Ghost as she continued to climb the protruding stones, the gaps she had to leap slowly getting larger. A couple Hobgoblins materialised along the path ahead of her, but they posed little challenge.

At the final step, a floating platform hovering a few metres away from the tower, Mira took her time to calculate her approach in order to make the vertical climb. Eventually, the Warlock settled for taking off at a run before activating her glide with a jump. She flew in a diagonal arch towards the next platform, but realised too late that she wasn’t flying high enough.

The landing’s edge came hard and fast, the Sunsinger slamming into the perfectly cut metal edge hard enough to knock the wind out of her. Clinging to it for dear life, Mira took a moment to gather the strength to push herself the rest of the way, when a high-pitched whining from directly overhead forced her to look up.

Her eyes widened as she stared directly into the open palm of a Minotaur crouching over her – the centre of its palm glowing brighter as the pitch of the whine got higher. Unable to do anything without letting go and falling to her death, Mira cursed loudly in Russian as the Minotaur released a shockwave of Void radiation that blew Mira off the edge.

Falling in what felt like slow motion, Mira faintly heard Snow shout her name as she tumbled through the air. She knew that the impact coming would be fatal, but without any energy left in her glide there was nothing she could do.

_I might actually hit terminal velocity before I splat._ She thought to herself with the slightest hint of morbid amusement as she watched the Minotaur grow more distant. _Wait, this isn’t even a very far fall…am I gaining weight?_

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted when something clasped around her hand, lurching her back up in a way that made the joints in her shoulder pop. “Gotcha!” she heard Aeon shout as she looked up to see the Hunter leaning more than half her body over the edge of the floating platform. Her grip was firm against both the stone and Mira’s arm, however.

A breathless laugh escaped her lips as a wave of relief washed over her at the unlikely circumstances. Reaching up to clasp the Hunter’s arm with her other hand, Mira expected to be hoisted up when she felt the Hunter begin to gently swing her side to side.

“A-Aeon?” Mira asked with a touch of concern. “What’re you-”

“I’m going to give you the alley-oop!” The Hunter shouted back, interrupting Mira’s thoughts as she grabbed the Warlock’s arms with both her hands. The barest tingle of electricity ran down her wrists from the contact.

“Aeon, I don’t think this is a good-”

“Don’t worry! I’ve done this before-- like once,” cutting her off again, as she swung the dangling Warlock to one side for more momentum. “Remember to float!”

“Aeon, wait-”

“Alley-OOP!” the Hunter whooped as she flung Mira into the air, sending her nearly six feet up before the Sunsinger felt her inertia begin to drop off. Reflexively, she willed herself to glide through the air and maintain her momentum, even as the logical part of her mind reminded her that she was still in cooldown from its earlier use.

To her surprise, however, Mira found she was not being subjected to gravity’s whims and instead continued to float upwards. Ascending much quicker than she anticipated, Mira reached a high enough vantage point that she hovered well above the few Vex sentries at the spire’s peak by the time her glide cut out.

Drawing her fusion rifle, she bore down on the Minotaur as she fell, firing two blasts from her gun that burned a hole through the top of the robot. The Minotaur collapsed harmlessly to the floor and Mira landed, hard, but still well enough to swap out her scout rifle and finish off the rest of the Vex.

Once she was certain the landing was clear, Mira breathed out a sigh of relief and reloaded her rifle. She was about to advance forward when she picked up the sounds of struggling behind her. Turning around, the Warlock noticed Aeon’s upper half struggling to get herself the rest of the way up.

One of the Hunter’s legs tried valiantly to leverage her the rest of the way up as Mira approached. “Really? You can blink across a distance of ten metres at a time, but you can’t pull yourself up over a ledge?” Mira commented as she reached down to offer the Human a hand.

“Those are two _very_ different skillsets.” Aeon grunted back as she rolled onto the landing, blowing out an exaggerated breath of air as her body went lax.

“Well, at least you’re good for something,” Holding up the hand that Aeon had grabbed, Mira flexed her fingers as she considered something. “Did you do that? Recharge my glide?”

“Oh yeah. Yeah-- that was me. You like? A little trick I learned from a guy named Tevis,” she chuckled while holding up a hand and wiggling her fingers. After a second, she let the hand drop back to her side with a sigh of exhaustion. “Where’s Snow?”

In all the excitement, Mira realised with wide-eyed shock she had lost track of the small Ghost. She frantically thumbed her communicator. “Snow, report. What’s your position?”

“I’m over here – inside the spire!” The Ghost called back, directing Mira’s eyes to the open doorway across the landing. The two Guardians approached cautiously, their weapons at the ready as they passed through the opening into a chamber at the top of the spire.

At its centre was a large conflux that reached all the way to chamber’s ceiling. Near the top of the conflux, a circular splitter broke the end of the conflux up into four smaller streams, directing them to glowing plates on the walls.

_Transmitters,_ Mira thought to herself. _Sending data to the different Collectives all across Ishtar._

Reaching out a hand, Aeon made to touch one of the white, ember-like particles that flitted about the conflux, only to hum to herself when it passed through her hand. “Y’know, it’s almost kind of beautiful.” The Hunter mused as her eyes traced the room.

“It always is,” Mira muttered as she spotted Snow, slowly spinning around the conflux above their heads. “Snow. Have you found your signal?”

The Ghost darted from one end of the conflux to the other. “Yes. Well-- almost,” Snow hastily corrected. “I think I know which part of the local network they’re routing it through, but it’s going to take a moment to breach their security – and they’re not going to be happy about it.”

“Well, it’s not like they didn’t already know we were here,” Mira sighed as she walked back to the doorway. “Get started. We’ll hold off any Vex that come through here.”

At her word, Snow immediately began to play a scanning beam over the conflux. Mira stared on for a second, watching for any changes while the Ghost worked when the conflux began to glow brighter and hum with a low tone that Mira felt in the air.

Immediately after, Mira heard the familiar flashes of Vex teleportation just outside the chamber. Peeking around the edge of the doorway, the Warlock was taken aback with what she saw.

On the opposite side of the landing, two more platforms with active Vex gates on them teleported into existence, linking to the spire by thin metal bridges. As soon as the attaching structures materialised, dozens of Vex frames began pouring out of the gates.

The many eyes of the machines immediately locked with Mira’s and began advancing down the bridges one at a time.

“Aeon.” Mira called, waving the Hunter over as she checked the Light levels on her wrist device.

“Shit – I don’t think I have enough ammunition for all of that.” Aeon exclaimed as her position was suddenly barraged by Vex fire. Hopping on the spot to avoid the Solar discharges that landed at her feet, the Hunter frantically flicked her knife to the other end of the doorway to blink out of the line of fire.

“Neither do I, but I still have one charge of Radiance ready,” Mira replied while peeking out of cover to unload the last of her primary ammo into the Vex – doing little to stop their advance. “When they get close enough, I’ll activate it and rain fire down on them. While I’m out there, you’ve got to make sure to cover Snow.”

The opening was suddenly bombarded by a volley of fire from a half dozen torch hammers, forcing the two Guardians to take cover deeper within the nexus chamber.

“Westmark-- do you understand?” Mira asked frantically.

“Yeah, I got it!” The Hunter snapped back while throwing a skip grenade at the first few Goblins entering the chamber.

“Alright,” Mira whispered to herself as she stowed her guns away and held her hands at her sides, mentally preparing herself to channel the Light. “I’m ready.”

No sooner had she taken a step, however, when a voice interrupted her thoughts. “Mira, Aeon,” Snow whispered with worry in his tone. “There’s…someone else in here with me.”

“Someone?” Mira asked, her body unexpectedly freezing as she considered the Ghost’s words and its nervous voice. “Some-- what do you mean _someone_? Who?”

“I…I’m not…sure. I’ve…never detected a presence like this before.” Snow replied in what could have been curiosity, but was laced with a little too much fear.

That same, unexplained fear stalled Mira’s actions as the Vex continued their advance – a few Harpies managing to manoeuvre around the Hunter’s line of fire. “Doesn’t matter. Do you have a lock on the signal?”

“Oh, uh—almost,” The Ghost stuttered out as Mira lobbed a solar grenade right at the entrance to the chamber, catching an Axis Minotaur in a torrent of fire as it charged into the chamber.

The fire barely deterred the metal giant as its shields flared against it, wavering but never failing. Swapping out to her shotgun, Aeon tried to fire a round into its back, but was thrown backwards by a violent swing from the Minotaur’s arms. The buckshot hit the wall next to the Minotaur harmlessly as it turned its attention to Mira.

Letting out a synthetic growl at the Sunsinger as it aimed its main weapon at her, Mira snarled in her helmet as she tossed her scout rifle to the ground and readied her Super. Solar fire slowly spread down her arms and legs as the Light she had been building up swelled within her, threatening to burst forth into an inferno.

Just as the giant stepped closer, however, the central conflux in the room let out a low-pitch blare, like some kind of primitive battle horn. The Vex all froze mid-motion, with only their heads turning to watch the conflux as its light turned red.

Aeon, who had been pinned to the wall by two Goblins, was trapped between their metal bodies as she turned towards Mira with a confused look. “Uh, Snow? What’s happening?” she asked before turning to regard the Ghost.

“I’ve got it! The signal – I have it! It’s so clear now. I can follow it straight to my Guardian!” The Ghost cheered, seemingly unaware what was happening around it. “I-- wait, is- is that…What’s-” a blinding light suddenly shone out from the conflux, followed by a deafening boom as the light washed over the entire chamber.

Mira reflexively braced herself against the light – thinking it might have been an explosion. The seconds ticked on as Mira expected to feel a force of some kind pushing against her, but even as the light faded she felt nothing.

Slowly opening her eyes to let them adjust to the darkness, the first thing Mira took note of was that the data nexus had gone dark. The conflux was gone, the walls no longer emitted any light, and only an empty silence remained in its place.

“Ghost, what was that?” Mira asked without thinking, checking over her body for any changes.

“Energy pulse – high intensity!” The Ghost replied immediately in an alarmingly loud voice as it materialised next to her. “I detected traces of…magnetic disruption.”

Using the bio-detector built into her gloves, Mira ran a quick scan of her vitals and blood content. When the screen blinked green and displayed normal readings, the Warlock breathed out a sigh of relief. “EM?”

“I don’t think so. All your equipment’s still running – and I feel fine, so-” turning around to take in their surroundings, Lumiere visibly flinched when it noticed the Vex. “Did…did that pulse do _that_ to the Vex?”

All around them, the bodies of Goblins, Harpies and Minotaurs lay scattered across the ground. Some remained intact, while others had fallen to pieces, but all were devoid of life – their red eyes cracked and dark while radiolarian fluid leaked from their chests.

Taking care not to step on any of the Vex parts lying about, Aeon slowly made her way through the doorway back out onto the landing. Her gaze swept from end to end, searching for any signs of life. The platforms that had materialised were devoid of activity; the Vex gates having gone dark and any Vex remaining nothing more than an empty shell.

“They’re all dead.” She called back to Mira as the Warlock crouched over the Axis Minotaur hat had threatened to attack her.

“It’s not just up here, either,” Jolly stated as she appeared above Aeon’s shoulder. “I did a deep radial scan just then, and I’m not picking up signs of Vex activity anywhere in The Silereum – or any activity, for that matter.”

“The…the whole fortress’ gone dark?” Lumiere exclaimed as Mira looked the corpse of the metal giant up and down, searching for any signs of external damage.

As she ran a gloved hand over the metal chassis, a thought suddenly occurred to Mira, causing her to jump to her feet. “Where’s Snow?!”

Looking about the chamber, Mira found the little Ghost suspended in the air, hovering in a fixed position while remaining completely motionless. It hung in the air as if suspended by nothing – no Light emanating from its shell and no visible tethers holding it up.

A loud, bright spark suddenly burst from its side, and Snow plummeted towards the ground. Mira’s heart jumped up into her throat with panic when she saw the Ghost fall, lunging forward to catch it without thinking. The Spark weighed little more than a squab as the Warlock turned it around to look at its eye.

The Sunsinger had to supress a gasp when she saw the way its light flickered like a broken bulb.

“Snow, can you hear me?” Mira asked after a second, trying her hardest to keep her voice calm and collected.

The Ghost’s shell twitched a couple times in her hands before it spoke weakly. “Guardian…the voice…like a whisper,” Snow’s eye slowly turned upwards to stare at Mira. “It…it told me…nothing.”

As it breathed out its last word, the light in its eye faded, and the weight of the small Ghost in her hands seemed to grow greater. “Lumiere, is it…?”

“I’m…still picking up some Light in him. Low-level processing,” Her Ghost responded after scanning Snow. “He’s just in deep hibernation.”

Mira sighed heavily as she cradled the lifeless shell for a moment before gingerly putting it in one of the pouches on her belt. Her brain was still frazzled by everything as she stepped out of the nexus chamber and into the gentle drizzle.

Everything, even the storm overhead, seemed to have fallen silent then.

An odd coincidence, given the name of the Vex information spire.

“Mira,” Aeon’s voice was barely more than a whisper when she said her name, staring off the edge of the landing before slowly turning around to face the Warlock. “What was that?”

For a while, Mira didn’t give Aeon a reply. Only silently analysing the events of the past couple hours because she _didn’t know ‘what that was’._

They just had an encounter with something…unknown. Something _not Vex_ , but not _Fallen_ or _Guardian_ either. This was the sort of thing that Guardian training couldn’t prepare anyone for.

And that scared her more than anything else.

“Call your ship – tell it to land by the entrance to The Silereum,” Mira ordered, her eyes bright and her breath short. “We’re going back to The Tower.”


	3. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shaken by what happened on Venus, Mira rushes back to The Tower to warn the Vanguard about her suspicions and mobilise a response against a new threat.
> 
> The Vanguard's response was not what she had hoped for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So, this took a little longer to write and edit than I had hoped. Who knew getting more details about a single character's perspective would be harder than rushing through three at a time?
> 
> Anyway, real life's getting in the way of things again, so I can't say when the next chapter will be done (I WILL FINISH THIS FIC), but I'd put it somewhere between 2-3 weeks from now.
> 
> I aspire to make this story the best that it can be, so I will not rush chapters out to fill the quota.

**City Airspace, en route to Tower Hangar, The Last Safe City, Earth…**

Once they were aboard, Mira let Lumiere take control of her jumpship. She allowed the Ghost to run all the flight checks and even perform take-off – all while she sat idly in the pilot’s seat.

It felt strange – and oddly irritating – when the ship eased out of Venus’ dense atmosphere because she _always_ insisted on handling take-off. Always. Even when she was in no condition to be flying because she had a 'sizable hole in her left leg'. Even when she was still recovering from being mowed down by gatling fire. Even when she had just finished a Strike and was completely burnt out from Light overuse, Mira could _still_ perform the launch procedures.

Now, though? Now Mira couldn’t even remember which switch turned off the landing gear.

Lumiere, on his part, only offered to handle the pre-flight checks after Mira’s second unsuccessful attempt at remembering all the steps. “I’ve done this a hundred times before, Lumiere. I am perfectly capable of taking this stupid jumpship into orbit _by myself_.” The Warlock declined - rather harshly.

After a third failed attempt, however, the Sunsinger conceded defeat and – with her head on the dashboard – gestured for the Ghost to reset the systems. She didn’t want Lumiere to see the embarrassed flush on her face as the Ghost took the ship into orbit on his first try. When their trajectory was right, Lumiere wordlessly took the Phaeton-class fighter into warp on a course for Earth.

Neither Ghost nor Guardian spoke during the flight back to The Last City. Lumiere silently went over the intel they gathered over the course of their mission, while Mira stared off into the prismatic void of warp-space – her fingers idly caressing the shell of the dormant Ghost in her care.

Her eyes were unfocused as she stared at nothing in particular, her mind millions of miles away - running a thousand different doomsday scenarios. Mira kept going back to what the Future War Cult taught her; about seeing the signs of a fight long before that war arrived at your doorstep.

This – whatever _this_ was – was setting off alarm bells in the Warlock’s head, and she wasn’t sure why. No, she knew why; she just didn’t have the complete picture to make sense of it. Something back at The Silereum killed a Vex fortress and disabled a Ghost.

And she wanted to know what before it happens again.

Reality only snapped back into focus when the Laughing Behind Your Back lurched to a complete stop, and Mira realised with disgruntled embarrassment that they were in the Tower Hangar – and she hadn’t even noticed. Seamlessly, the Warlock took manual control back from the Ghost in order to run the ship through its final landing procedures and switch off non-essential functions.

It wasn’t much, but it made her feel like she could still do _something._

With the ship docked and her _sensitive_ inventory safely locked away - from the prying eyes and hands of nosy shipwrights, Mira transmatted herself to the common area of the hangar. Dock workers, frames and Guardians were all going about their business around her, unaware of the Warlock’s inner turmoil.

She stood rooted in place for a long moment, one hand clutching Snow’s inert shell tight enough to leave bruises in her bare palm. The Warlock’s eyes darted about her surroundings – everything seeming out of focus no matter how many times she tried to blink the sights clearer. Lumiere called out to her a couple of times, but she barely heard him as Mira felt her knees shake as if they would give out any second.

In her mind, visions of a ruined Tower flashed about wherever she looked. The dead laid everywhere and everything burned in the wake of an unknown enemy. The sound of an incessant beeping finally brought Mira back to herself, where she turned to notice an annoyed Frame carrying a crate of used patrol beacons – signalling her to move out of its way.

This was no time to be standing around gawking like a lost Hunter. She needed to get word to the Vanguard about her discovery and figure out a course of action. “ _Idleness_ _is the aid of the enemy,_ ” the words of the War Cult’s ideology rang in her ears.

Moving out of the way of the frame, Mira held up a hand to summon her Ghost as she backed up against a nearby wall.

“Lumiere, inform the Vanguard that I’m requesting an audience. Tell them-” she swallowed hard to get rid of the dry, coarse feeling in her throat. “Tell them it’s urgent.”

The Ghost hovering above her free hand for a second, ticking its shell as it worked, before vanishing. “Done. Ikora said that they’re finishing up another Consensus meeting right now, so they’ll be ready for us in five minutes.”

“Good. Gives me time to close things up here.” She replied before kicking off the wall, heading to the War Cult’s base above the hangar.

Things had changed for the FWC after the Deimos Crisis. Despite their success at dispersing the Cabal battlefleet and breaking the chain-of-command, the Vanguard kept their word and accused the War Cult of withholding critical information before The Consensus. To everyone’s surprise, Lakshmi-2 – who represented the War Cult in the trial – pleaded guilty as soon as the prosecutor had finished listing the charges.

To the extent Mira’s knowledge, it seemed that the Vanguard had come to an agreement with the Exo over the terms of the punishment during the Crisis itself if she were to cooperate.

The Warlock couldn’t imagine how much worse things could have been had Lakshmi _not_ cooperated.

As Mira ascended the staircase to the loft, she waved and said a polite greeting to one of the major changes to the FWC’s routine: A Hidden agent. He barely paid her any mind – only half-heartedly returning the wave while never taking his eyes off the datapad he was pretending to read.

She didn’t know his name, only that he had been assigned by Ikora to eavesdrop on them and intercept all their transmissions. Though, by this point, nearly everyone in the FWC knew about the spy sitting on the empty crate by the staircase.

Entering the secluded loft, Mira sighed inwardly at how much emptier it all felt now. With the resource and financial cuts taking their toll, maintaining many of the equipment the FWC once enjoyed were no longer an option. Private terminals, vault access points, cipher decoders, material fabricators; all of it had to be traded back to the Vanguard or scrapped to adapt to their new budget limitations.

As expected, the new restrictions also saw a number of members leave the faction. Guardians and citizens of the Last City not truly loyal to the cult chose to turn in their loyalty badges and go independent or join another cause, rather than stay on with a faction that could no longer provide for them. Parts of the loft that were once crowded with recruits planning excursions or disciples running war simulations were now only extra storage space taken up by supply boxes.

Still, the reductions had not affected their recruitment rates as much as Mira thought they might. The Warlock predicted that if the influx of new members remained steady, they would see their lost numbers replenished by the end of the year.

 _If they’re cut out for it,_ Mira thought to herself as she approached the War Cult representative sitting on the circular sofa with Aeon.

The Hunter was the first to take note of her presence, flashing a pleasant grin at Mira – which she could not help but return. “Took you long enough.”

“Apologies if I kept anyone waiting,” Mira greeted with a small nod when Lakshmi turned to regard her. “I…had something to think about.”

“Not to worry, Warlock Mira. I was simply sharing my personal experience with the Vex to Hunter Aeon,” Lakshmi replied while rising from her seat. “Now, simply present me a copy of your report and assessment of Hunter Aeon and you may be on your way.”

Mira was about to summon her Ghost to give today’s report when she thought over the Exo’s words a second time. “Uh, my assessment?” She asked hesitantly.

“Yes. Your review of Hunter Aeon’s performance and skill for this dispatch.” Lakshmi clarified. “…The review you are meant to submit with each mission report.”

She thought to herself for a few seconds before slapping a hand to her forehead with a groan. “I forgot to compile a report on the way back.” She muttered angrily to herself, just loud enough for Lakshmi to hear.

“Not to worry, Warlock Mira,” Lakshmi soothed, offering her the datapad in her hand after a quick adjustment. “I have a template on hand that you can fill out.”

Thanking the older War Cultist, Mira dropped herself into the empty seat next to Aeon and began typing up her report – in as few words as possible. A few seconds passed in relative silence as Mira struggled to recall certain details of the day, while others came to her as abstract feelings which she struggled to put to word. The Sunsinger was halfway through the report when she a gentle nudge to her side broke her intense concentration.

“You writing good things about me?” Aeon asked with a cheeky smirk as she scooted closer to the Warlock – close enough that their knees touched.

Mira only spared her the briefest of glances before turning back to the report. “Depends.” She replied, pretending to ignore the Hunter as her eyes darted up to make sure Lakshmi had returned to her outlook by the window – watching the hangar below instead of the two Guardians.

“On what?”

“On whether or not you’re going to give me a copy of your Ghost’s field data from today.” Mira’s hands never stopped typing as she spoke to Aeon.

“The field data? I already turned it in to Lakshmi, I’m not _that_ -”

“It’s not for today’s report,” she paused thinking about how much she should reveal without even knowing the whole truth herself. “I’m going to see the Vanguard later – to talk about what happened at The Silereum.”

“What’s there to talk about? A bunch of Vex were destroyed an energy surge and we came out fine,” at the edge of her peripheral vision, Mira saw Aeon shrugging her shoulders. “If you ask me, that’s an absolute win on our part.”

“There’s more to it – I know there is. And I need all the evidence I can get to convince the Vanguard to follow-up on this before…”

Mira unintentionally left her sentence hanging as she turned her attention back to her report, unable to find the right words to end it.

“Before what?” Aeon asked after a moment of silence.

With one final proofread, Mira placed the report on Lakshmi’s table and turned to face the Bladedancer. “Before I’m proven right. Please, Aeon,” she said in a harsh whisper before holding out a hand for the Hunter.

Looking between the Warlock’s hand and face for a few seconds, Aeon hastily nodded as she summoned her Ghost. “Yeah—ok. Sure.” After flying to Mira’s open palm, the Sunsinger held up her free wrist for the Ghost to scan, transferring the necessary files to Mira’s personal control pad.

“Thank you.” Mira replied once Jolly was done, standing up and striding over to the exit without another word.

She had just reached the stairs down to the hangar when Aeon jogged up to her, the sound of rapid footfalls enough cause for Mira to stop and acknowledge its cause. “We’re still on for dinner tonight, right?” the ginger asked once she had caught up.

“Definitely,” Mira nodded as she forced a reassuring smile. Aeon smiled back and, after a second, leaned forward as her eyes fluttered shut. Panic suddenly filled Mira and she put her hands on the Hunter’s shoulders to stop her out of reflex. “Not here!” she whispered, glancing around at the few FWC disciples that still lingered – paying the two no mind. “Save it for later.” She said before turning her back to the girl and descending the flight of stairs.

“Uh oh. I think I’m having a case of déjà vu.” Lumiere stated as Mira stalked towards the plaza.

“I don’t want to hear it, Lumiere.” The Warlock muttered in reply.

“Don't take it from me - you can see the hurt on her face, clear as day.”

“I’ll…make it up to her later,” She reasoned, grunting in frustration when all she got back from the Ghost was silence. “Just compile a report for the Vanguard with the new data. Put together anything we have about that energy pulse.”

“…On it.”

On her way to the Hall of Guardians, Mira made one stop by Master Rahool’s stall to decrypt the few Engrams she had found on her mission – barely paying any attention to what he returned to her and thanking him on a reflex. The Awoken’s vision seemed to tunnel as she approached the stone steps leading to the Vanguard headquarters, the Warlock barely noticing anyone or anything around her until she was at the entryway to the Hall.

She would have walked right into the room if not for a Titan fully-clad in chitinous armour walking into her. The Guardian – who smelled strongly of Hive - barely paid her any mind as he pushed past her and continued on his way.

Leering at the back of the mysterious Titan’s head, Mira had to purse her lips to keep the unbridled fire within her from expelling something she might regret. Instead, she turned back around with a deep breath, thinking on what she was going to say to the Vanguard.

And coming up blank.

_Should’ve thought about that on the way here._

Before Mira could turn and leave to make another round through the Tower’s courtyard, her eyes happen meet Ikora’s when she glanced in her direction. “Ah, Mira. You’re just in time.” The Warlock Vanguard greeted as she waved the Awoken closer.

“So it would seem.” Mira muttered through gritted teeth as she descended the short flight of steps to stand at the head of the table opposite Zavala. As soon as she was in her place, all eyes were on the Warlock.

“Now, what was it you wanted to see us about?” Ikora asked as she pushed her datafiles to one side of the table.

A few seconds went by and Mira frantically glanced between the three sets of eyes locked on to her, at a sudden loss for words and a clammy feeling in her throat. She wasn’t sure how long she would’ve remained frozen had Cayde not spoken up “Uh, kid? You alright?”

This seemed to spur the Sunsinger’s mind into action, as all her thoughts suddenly came rushing to the forefront of her mind. “Ah, yes! Um-- first off, I wanted to thank The Vanguard for finding the time to speak with me,” Mira’s mouth ran with the practiced pleasantry – a stalling tactic to buy her time and assemble her thoughts on what had transpired on Venus.

The Vanguard seemed to take her greeting well enough, with Zavala nodding in acknowledgement while Cayde waved it off with one hand. Only Ikora seemed to notice the tighter, higher pitch the Sunsinger’s voice took on, if her sidelong glance was any indication.

“The reason I requested an audience was…” she paused, thinking on how best to summarise what she wanted to discuss. “To bring to attention an anomaly that occurred on Venus.”

“Ooh, haven’t had an anomaly in a while,” Cayde replied, leaning forward in interest. “Do tell.”

“What kind of anomaly are you talking about, exactly?” Zavala asked, his eyebrows scrunching together in concern.

It suddenly occurred to Mira that she had the full attention of the Vanguard on her – quite possibly the three most powerful Guardians in the City. Something ignited within her then – a smouldering ember that breathed itself into a raging fire. Suddenly, she wasn’t just another Warlock from the Praxic Order. Suddenly, she was the only one aware of a threat to everything they held dear.

Suddenly, she knew _exactly_ what she needed to say.

With renewed confidence – and perhaps a little more force than necessary, she brought her hand up and slammed Snow’s inanimate shell on the table. “The kind that shuts down Ghosts.”

All eyes widening at the sight of the Ghost resting on the table before glancing up to meet Mira’s burning gaze. Tentatively, Ikora reached out a hand to gently pluck the Ghost from the table and examine it at eye-level. Holding it away from her, Ikora levitated Snow’s shell over her palm as her own Ghost began scanning it.

“Be more specific, Vuul.” Zavala demanded, which drew her attention back to the Titan.

“This Ghost was rendered inert by an energy surge of unknown origin, sir,” Mira explained, her words never faltering. “It occurred when it tried to access a Vex conflux.”

“The Vex?” Ikora repeated with a hint of alarm. “You believe this could be some kind of new Vex weapon?”

“I don’t think so, ma’am. The surge also killed a garrison of Vex that were attacking us _and_ caused The Silereum to go dark.” She corrected.

“The Vex fortress?!” Zavala exclaimed in surprise.

“When you say ‘killed’,” Cayde began warily. “Do you mean-”

“It completely obliterated the Vex. Their bodies were shattered, and their radiolarian fluid boiled in their own casings.”

The Hunter Vanguard let out a low whistle. “Wish I could’ve been there to see that.”

“Brief me again on exactly _how_ you came across this anomaly.” Zavala ordered, his voice once again returning to its level, calculating depth.

Sparing only a glance at Ikora, who was still absorbed by the unconscious Ghost, Mira launched into retelling the events of her recent patrol across the Ishtar Sink and her mission to rescue the lost Ghost, omitting several of the less important details of her excursion – including her display of power with the Cyclops.

No one interrupted Mira until she was finished, ending her story with the last words the Ghost spoke to her. “It… _he_ was trying to tell me something. Something about a whisper or- or a presence in the Vex network that reached out to him.”

“The Silereum is a Vex stronghold,” Zavala stated as soon as Mira was finished. “You should not have gone there without more reinforcements and clearance from the Forward Base.”

“It was risky, but I saw no other way to convince Snow to return with us- did you not just hear a word I said?!” Mira snapped, annoyed that _that_ was the first thing the Titan Vanguard had to say to her.

“I think what Zavala’s trying to say is that we’re glad you made it back,” Cayde interjected before anyone else had a chance to speak. “But pulling off an attack on The Silereum’s a full-fireteam op. Not even I’m ballsy enough to take that place on alone – much less with a newly-trained Guardian.”

“The issue is not your results, Warlock,” Zavala continued, his stare never leaving Mira. “It is the risk you put others in to achieve those results.”

“Well, no one died this time, so can we _please_ talk about the pressing matter at hand?!”

The Hall of Guardians was silent for a moment as a mixture of expressions passed over the faces of the Vanguard at the Awoken’s outburst. Ikora was the only one that managed to maintain an impassive expression on her face, and even then Mira noticed the way the skin around her eyes and hands tightened as Snow’s shell floated back into her palm.

“Fortunately, it doesn’t seem like this Ghost suffered any permanent physical damage,” Ikora explained, breaking the silence as she gently placing Snow on the table. “His neural cortex is in disarray from what seems to be a feedback flux, but given time and proper repairs, he will recover,” the older Warlock’s gaze darted to the young Sunsinger. “His memories of the incident, however, may be lost to us. We’ll just have to wait and see if he can tell us any more of the anomaly.”

“Well, if it does, I’m sure the Ghost can verify my theory,” Mira stated as she held out a hand for Lumiere to transmat a data chit into her palm. “This is a report Lumiere was able to put together concerning the incident. I’m certain you’ll find that it corroborates with the mission reports from both me and Huntress Westmark.”

As soon as she placed the chit on the table, Cayde reached out to drag it towards him with two fingers. “Well, we’ll certainly give it a look, but if it’s the Vex…” the Exo gave a half-hearted shrug. “Who knows; it could be nothing – could be a planet-destroying weapon-”

“It wasn’t the Vex!” Mira interrupted suddenly in a half-shout. “This was something new – I know it is! Why would the Vex blast their own fortress with an EM pulse?”

“We do not know enough about the Vex to make assumptions about their actions. We work with what we can and take the necessary steps to ensure that they do not gain ground.” Zavala argued, leaning forward slightly over the table.

“That’s why I’m requesting permission and resources to look into this further,” Mira countered, receiving a raised eyebrow from Ikora. “If it turns out to be nothing more than a fluke – well, good! But if it’s some kind of weapon – one we can use against the Vex-”

“We need more than half-concocted theories if we are to understand the Vex. Investigations into Vex activity _will_ by the Vanguard science teams, not field agents. We’ve already lost enough Guardians to those machines over inexperience.”

“I have experience with the Vex! And I’m as much of a scientist as I am a field operative!” When Mira realised her outburst was beginning to draw attention, she exhaled in frustration and locked her gaze with Zavala’s. “Commander, please. Something is telling me that this happened for a reason; as a warning, or a demonstration. What if another surge goes off while a Fireteam’s on a Strike and their Ghosts go down? They’ll be defenceless!”

“Mira,” The hand Ikora placed on her shoulder startled a flinch out of the young Warlock, but the voice she spoke in was calm. “We share your concerns, but this matter is now officially under the jurisdiction of The Vanguard. We will continue to look into it, but as of this moment there simply aren’t any leads for us to follow. You needn’t concern yourself with it any longer,” the Warlock Vanguard lowered her hand as she stepped backwards. “But I promise; you will be the first to know if anything comes out of this.”

That was it, then. Knowing Ikora as long as she did, Mira knew ‘ _Continue to look into it,_ ’ was just code for, ‘ _We’ll deal with it once it becomes a problem_ ’. Mira almost made a condescending comment about the fact, when a pull at the back of her mind caused the Awoken to lose her words and still her emotions.

Glancing at Lumiere, her suspicions were confirmed when the Ghost turned away from her. She still hoped he could feel the discreet leer she sent him.

As a last-ditch effort, Mira turned a pair of hopeful, pleading eyes to Cayde. The Hunter Vanguard looked about for a moment, as if confused before speaking. “What’re you looking at me for?” The rest of the Vanguard turned their expectant gaze on him then, causing Cayde to breathe out a sigh. “Alright, look. As interesting as this sounds – _and_ as much as I wanna back you up, you’re not giving us a lot to go off from and we’ve got bigger fish to fry at the moment. Only thing to do about it is…wait.”

With her anger and frustration beginning to take over, Mira had to act quickly. “I see. I’ll leave you to it, then.” She said in a tight, constricted voice, glancing at Ikora once before turning on her heel and stalking off – not bothering to wait to be dismissed.

As she left the Hall of Guardians, Mira unconsciously allowed her frustrations to seep into her posture; her steps getting heavier and her strides becoming longer. While the behaviour went unnoticed by most, one older Guardian took note of it as she marched past him.

“What’s got you so wound up, Warlock?” Shaxx asked as he folded his arms. “Losing another fight to the Vanguard's indecision?”

“You know the Vanguard!” Mira huffed in exasperation, throwing her arms up for emphasis.

“I also know my Guardians,” Shaxx replied as the Sunsinger continued to walk off. “This attitude is unbecoming of you, Vuul. Go take a couple rounds in The Crucible to put that temper to better use!”

The Warlock barely heard Shaxx as he bellowed after her, too determined to leave that part of the Tower behind her as she crossed the plaza all the way to its edge. A couple seconds passed by as Mira just leaned against the railings, staring off at the City below, before Lumiere appeared beside her. “You’re not going to let this be, are you?”

“Of course not!” Mira hissed, trying to be subtle about her ire as she glanced at her Ghost. “This is _my_ discovery, and I want to see it through to the end.”

“Mira, maybe – just for once – we should leave this to the Vanguard.” Lumiere reasoned, its eye dimming in concern.

“Why? So they can lose it under a pile of paperwork and completely forget about it?” she challenged, her grip on the railings tightening. “So they can send a team in to shut the signal down before we have a chance to find out what’s causing it?” Lumiere gave no response as he stared at her with worry in its eye. The first few pangs of guilt were all it took to make Mira sigh guiltily and turn away from her Spark.

 _Lumiere doesn’t deserve this_ , Mira decided as she closed her eyes to recollect her thoughts. _One of us has to be the overly cautious one, I suppose._

“Have you found out anything new about what happened?” she asked instead.

The Ghost continued to stare at her for a few, long seconds before it turned to gaze at the Traveller as well. “Sort of. Though I’m not sure what to make of it.”

“What is it?”

“When that…pulse…went off, I was able to record a second of its energy signature,” Lumiere explained. “It…was only for a split-second, but I caught something in the frequency of the pulse waves. Hidden among the high concentration of electromagnetic interference I found a pattern that looks like a signal code,” when the Warlock shot him an incredulous look, Lumiere quickly added, “I only noticed it when we left the meeting. Besides, it wouldn’t have helped much.”

“Why not?” Mira pressed.

“It’s barely legible code. The signal’s all scrambled up and neither of us have the expertise to clean it up.”

“I’ll be the judge of that,” Mira mumbled as she withdrew her personal datapad. “Show me.”

Floating over to the touchpad, Lumiere hit it with a beam of light, causing the screen to light up in a jumble of lights and sounds.

Mira stared at the waves and bars on her screen for a couple of seconds-

Then closed it immediately.

“Ok, you were right; this thing _is_ a mess,” she sighed, leaning against the railing. _Back to square one,_ she thought as her eyes flitted up to the Traveller. Staring up at its blank, damaged visage, Mira thought of asking it for advice – even though she knew she was unlikely to get an answer. “That signal code could tell us what caused the pulse, but picking it out might be impossible.” She muttered to herself, uncaring of who might be listening.

“It…could just be nothing: data corruption or part of the energy surge’s frequency resembling telemetry feed.” Lumiere tried to reason, but Mira just shot him a tired look.

“Even so, we can’t dismiss the possibility of it being something…new,” another sigh. “If only we could decode the feed,” Mira didn’t want to admit defeat, but one look at the state of the feed was all she needed to know she wasn’t capable of picking through it.

Her eyes wandered along the edge of the railing over to the entrance to Tower North, where a pair of Guardians were walking out onto the plaza – seemingly engrossed in whatever conversation they were carrying out. It went on to the degree that the Hunter did not notice the Frame in front of him until he walked into it, the two Guardians sharing a laugh at the minor accident.

Slowly, Mira’s gaze became distant as her mind wandered. She couldn’t help but feel like she was missing something – the beginnings of an idea forming as she observed the interactions between the two Guardians.

Suddenly, Mira bolted upright as all the pieces fit together in her mind. “Maybe I can’t decipher the signal,” she told Lumiere as an excited grin spread across her lips. “But I know someone who can!”


	4. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Against the wishes of the Vanguard, Mira continues to investigate the anomaly on Venus. Though convicted in her search for truth, the burden of the task begins to take its toll on her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Ok...so. This took longer than I expected. I try to capture as much of what Mira's feeling at any given moment without drawing things out too much, but that in and of itself is...difficult. I have a specific intention for Mira's character which I'm not used to writing like this, so I hope it conveys well.
> 
> Special thanks to "ArcaneGlitch (TheWolfParadox)" for lending me their OC for this chapter. They are responsible for a number of the Destiny stories here on AO3 and I highly recommend checking them out if you like what I've done so far. I hope to collab with them further on down the line, but for now, I just hope I did their OC justice.
> 
> Anyway, brace yourselves. This chapter's gonna get...heavy.

**Tower Public Library & Data Archive, The Last Safe City, Earth…**

“You want me to do _what_?”

Mira slid the data chit across the table towards the Warlock, maintaining eye-contact the whole time. “There’s a copy of the surge’s energy signature on this. I need you to defragment it’s frequency for me.” She repeated.

The Human Guardian held her gaze for a couple more seconds before glancing down at the datapad in his hands. “Look, it’s not that I don’t want to help, Mira. It’s just…” he sighed, waving a hand at the datapad in exasperation. “Look at this! It’ll take me days to sift through all the signal corruption and energy overlay. It’ll be like separating nickel filings from a bucket of iron filings!”

“I wouldn’t have come to you if I thought I could do this myself, Bentlix,” Mira’s eyes hardened even as her lips curled in a knowing smirk. “You’re the best codebreaker I know – _and_ trust. Now, I’m asking this of you as a friend.”

Raising a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose, Tristan Bentlix pushed the Sunsinger’s datapad back towards her as he breathed out a deep, exaggerated sigh. “Even if I could,” he began warily. “My Fireteam and I already have plans to go hit a few of those newly-uncovered Hive storerooms on The Moon this week. Earliest I’d be able to get back to you about this thing is seven - maybe ten days from now.”

Her mouth was set into a thin, stretched line as she levelled a blank stare at Tristan. “I see,” she muttered – though the words came out like a hiss as they passed between her teeth - while drumming her fingers on the table. “Well then, how much is it going to cost you?”

Tristan sat up straight in his seat as his eyebrows shot up, feigning shock and surprise. It became clear after a couple seconds that Mira wasn’t buying the act at all, if her deadpanned expression was any indication. A coy smile now on his face, the Human hummed to himself while his eyes darting about the empty passageways in the library as if deep in thought. “How about…four thousand Glimmer up front,” he offered, folding his arms. “And another two thousand once I’m done – to cover my pain and suffering.”

“ _What_?!” Lumiere exclaimed as he materialised by Mira’s side. “Six thousand Glimmer? That’s a scam – Mira, renegotiate the terms!”

“Done.” She replied and, with a few taps of her wrist link, transferred the amount of Glimmer to the other Guardian.

“…That was the worst renegotiation _ever_.”

“It’s an acceptable cost – and one we can make up for,” she said with a desperate, pleading look aimed at her Ghost. Lumiere rarely saw that kind of frown on Mira’s face, and it made him wonder if his words came out too harsh. “Trust me.”

Checking his own wrist link, Tristan let out a low whistle as he accepted the transaction. “Wow. I can’t believe you just did that – I mean, even I thought that was a little overpriced,” he chuckled as he reached out to take the chit. Almost immediately, the Ghost began to splutter indignantly as his gaze darted between the two Guardians. “I’ll get started on this right away and get it back to you…mmm, maybe Tuesday.”

“I want it back by tonight.” Mira replied curtly as she stood to leave.

“Su- Wait, wh-- tonight?! Mira, I-” the Warlock stopped himself, wiping a hand down his face as he groaned loudly. “Even if I were to work non-stop at this, there aren’t enough relative hours for me to possibly defragment this by tonight. That leaves me, like what?” Tristan barked as he glanced at a nearby wall-mounted clock. “Seven hours?”

“I want it back by tonight,” she repeated more forcefully. “Or you’re not getting the other two thousand.”

“Oh, that’s a good one, Mira.” Lumiere chortled as his Guardian stared down the other Guardian.

Tristan opened his mouth as if to argue further but deflated after a couple false starts. “That’s…fair, I suppose,” he turned the small metal card over in his fingers, staring at it long and hard before glancing back up at Mira. “You’ve got to give me something else, though. Something to sweeten the deal.”

“Like what?”

Pausing to think for a moment, Tristan suddenly stood up with an index finger raised. “You used to date that cute doctor in the civilian general hospital, right?” he asked suddenly.

“Not that I recall,” Mira replied as she turned away slightly, feeling her cheeks suddenly heat up. She glanced at Tristan out of the edge of her peripheral vision, drumming one set of fingers on the table. “What’s her name?”

“Chloris, I think.”

“Chloris Danz? She’s a nurse with Refugee Relief Aid, not a doctor.”

“Not anymore she’s not. She's been working at the civic hospital for about ten months now.” Tristan chuckled as he slowly ran a hand through his brown locks.

"Oh..."

"Yeah, so..." Tristan's eyes darted about the library, looking anywhere but the other Sunsinger. “…You think you can set me for a dinner?”

Mira had to blink twice before her mind processed the Warlock’s request. “With her?” her expression turned perplexed before morphing into a grimace. “We’re not…really on speaking terms as of now.”

“Uh huh. That bad?”

“She thinks I’m dead.”

“Ok- it’s worse than that,” tapping his bottom lip in thought, Tristan eventually looked to Mira with a nervous shrug. “Could you…give me her number, then?”

A second passed as Mira slowly raised a hand to her Ghost before pausing, then offering that hand to Tristan. “Deal, but only after the job’s done,” a smirk crossed her lips as the brunette reached out to clasp her hand. “Don’t need any unnecessary distractions.”

Tristan offered a smirk in return as he pulled out his own datapad and an encryption adapter. “Oh, don’t worry. I’ll get it done,” he sighed as he sat back down in the cushioned library chair and inserted the chit into the touchpad. “In twelve hours.”

“Twelve hours is an acceptable timeframe,” Mira conceded as she made to leave. “I’ll expect you to be done on the dot, but feel free to hail me before then if you find anything.”

As she was about to leave the secluded section of the library, the Sunsinger stopped when Tristan suddenly called out to her. “Y’know, this would go by a lot quicker if you’d stay to help!” Turning around, she met the brunette’s irritated look with her own even expression. “Since you’re so eager to get it done.”

Gently running her thumb through the bangs of her cobalt bob-cut, Mira tucked the lock of hair behind an ear as she tilted her head, flashing Tristan a smug smirk. “I can’t,” Mira said, feigning woe in her voice. “I have a date tonight.”

* * *

**City East, The Last Safe City, Earth…**

“-ira. Hey, Mira!”

A sharp clap right next to Mira’s head snapped the Warlock out of her daze, her mind only just registering the fact that someone had been yelling her name.

“Huh! Wha-!” Mira sputtered, bolting upright and staring straight at the Hunter sitting across from her.

She felt her cheeks turn the faintest shade of violet as she met the Human’s irritated stare with one of embarrassment. “That’s the fourth time you’ve spaced out in the last… _hour_!” Aeon barked from across the simple metal table they sat at. “Are you even listening to me?”

“Ap…apologies, Aeon,” Mira stuttered out as she glanced about at her surroundings, checking not for the first time that they were still where she thought they were. Her eyes landed on the shape of the Traveller above them, far away enough that they were out of its shadow, allowing the light reflecting off the moon to shine down on them.

A cool night-time breeze blew in from down the street, rustling the windchimes that hung from the roof of the restaurant they were in. Built from a repurposed garage, the restaurant was a small three-walled, sparsely decorated space that could house roughly fourteen customers. Near the back, a wide counter separated the kitchen from the dining space, where a pair of chefs – the restaurant’s owner and her son – sizzled meat over a conduction grill and steamed various grains and vegetables in a pressure boiler.

“My mind…just doesn’t seem to be present.” Mira amended after a second of glancing about.

“Uh huh? Bet it doesn’t find my stories all that interesting, too.” Aeon deadpanned, one eyebrow bobbing up and down sarcastically. Mira watched as her bare shoulders slumped as her posture deflated. Wearing only a tank top and cargo pants, the Warlock had an easier time of reading the Human’s body language.

By contrast, Mira wore a deep-magenta blouse with frills at their ends that covered her shoulders and trailed down to her hips, veiling a black skirt that came up to her waist. It was comfortable, but also concealed more than the Hunter’s form-fitting attire.

“Believe me, it does,” she replied as she extended her right hand across the table. “I’m just…anxious. And frustrated.” Mira sighed as she rubbed her eyes through her eyelids with her free hand.

A couple of seconds passed before Mira felt another hand on her own. She glanced at Aeon to see a sympathetic look on her face. “This isn’t still about what happened earlier, is it?”

“Could it be about anything else?” Mira grumbled, angling her hand so that she could more gently hold the Hunter’s. “I just…I know I’m onto something…and having to wait for the evidence I need is agonising.”

With a sigh, Aeon reached out to her glass of beer and took a quick gulp before locking her gaze with Mira. “Alright, since you’re _clearly_ not interested in new fascination with amber, let’s talk about your day,” Mira stared at the ginger quizzically for the longest moment before Aeon continued. “You said you went to see the Vanguard. How’d that go?”

“Do you think I’d be smiling this much if things went well?”

“…But, you’re not smil…” Aeon trailed off as she caught on to Mira’s wit, breathing out a soft, “Oh, ok.” Before falling silent as Mira continued.

“I had things planned out – we could’ve launched a full investigation by tomorrow if they’d given me the resources and manpower,” a voice in the back of her mind nagged at her about how she – in fact – did _not_ have a plan. Mira was quick to silence that voice as she continued. “But the Vanguard just seems content to ignore the matter, like they do all their other problems.”

“I’m sure the Vanguard have their reasons for wanting to, er, take it slow,” Aeon reasoned with a shrug, holding her hands out in a gesture of uncertainty. “Y’know, caution and all that junk.”

“There’s caution and then there’s paranoia. The Vanguard are too scared to trust me on this – too scared to take the next big leap because of a few falls along the way.” Mira grumbled into her arms as she rested her head on the table.

A frown crossed Aeon’s features. “That’s not the Vanguard like I know them.”

“Oh, what do you know about the Vanguard?”

“I know they’ve probably got fair reason not to trust you,” Aeon said, her eyebrows creasing together for a moment in annoyance before starting at the look Mira gave her. “Because of the…whole…I’ll stop talking.”

Mira’s eyes narrowed into a leer at that. “No, please. Go ahead. Finish what you had to say.”

“Well, it’s just that…I heard a rumour the other day from the other guys at the FWC…about the business War Cult and the Vanguard and…the Deimos Crisis,” she said, sheepishly rubbing the back of her neck. “And that you were responsible for it.”

The Warlock stared aghast at the Bladedancer as she straightened her sitting position. “I may have instigated the conflict, but I’d hardly consider myself responsible for the backlash against the War Cult,” Mira huffed in annoyance before grumbling to herself. “Responsible for preventing another disaster, maybe.”

“I’m just saying, maybe it’s too early to be rushing into something you’re not even sure of. Cayde and the others have been doing this thing a lot longer than either of us, so maybe…maybe if they’re telling you ‘no’, it’s for a good reason.”

Her mind replayed the Hunter’s words a couple times, trying to understand why Aeon didn’t sound supportive of her in the slightest. Obviously, they did not yet know each other well enough for Aeon to understand her thought process, but as companions and someone…enamoured with the Warlock, Mira expected her to at least agree with her reasoning and logic.

Then it hit her; the most logical explanation for Aeon’s reluctance towards her – and it stung her. All at once, Mira’s body tenses as she prepared to mentally distance herself from the situation.

 _She’s just trying to be reasonable. She’s not against you. No one’s against you._ Though the thoughts sounded like her own, but Mira knew what they were. Still, she couldn’t help but admire how seamless her Ghost’s mental suggestions had become. Her train of thought would have latched onto them if she hadn’t consciously cut them off from her own thoughts.

No, Mira knew her mind – and she knew when someone was doubting her authenticity.

“You don’t believe me either, do you?” Mira’s accusation came out as no more than a whisper, but Aeon clearly heard her.

The change of expression on Aeon’s face happened quickly, going from concerned to shocked in under a second. “I never said I…do believe _in_ you, but I don’t understand where you’re going with this. Please,” the Human reached across the table for Mira’s hand with a desperate plea. “Help me understand.”

Mira snatched her hand back, ignoring the hurt look on Aeon’s face as she did. “ _No one_ understands me,” she hissed. “Not the Vanguard. Not the War Cult,” a pause, giving the ginger one last up-and-down look. “And certainly not you.”

“Mira don’t…” this time, Lumiere’s voice was clear in her mind. He wasn’t offering suggestions anymore; he was warning her.

A second passed as Aeon’s expression began to darken, her tone dipping a few octaves warily. “I can’t understand you if you’re going to be a bitch about it on purpose.”

“Mira, think-”

 _Stay out of this, Lumiere._ She interrupted the Spark’s attempt at pacifying her. “You don’t know the first thing about me.”

“Because you never open up with me about anything!” Aeon yelled suddenly, the anger in her tone now more obvious. Thankfully, the restaurant was devoid of other patrons who might otherwise have had to bear witness to what was about to happen. “What? Am I just supposed to figure you out by- by reading your mind? Is that what you Warlocks do?! Where’s the logic in that?”

Compulsively, Mira let out a bitter cackle before speaking. “Logic? What do you know of logic? You’re just a Hunter.”

It took a couple seconds, but as soon as Aeon processed the words she was on her feet, glaring down at Mira. “Take that back. Right now.” She growled.

“Why should I?” Mira rose to meet her challenging stare. “We both know I’m the one doing all the mental work. You wouldn’t have lasted sixty minutes on Venus without my help. You wouldn’t have accomplished _anything_ without me!”

The hand that struck the side of Mira’s face was a blur of motion, jerking her head to one side as it broke her line of sight with the Hunter. Though she couldn’t be sure – because of how fast it all happened, Mira swore she saw a few sparks burst to life from the contact.

It would certainly explain the hot, shocking sting that the hand left on her cheek.

Pain only set in a second, spreading across the side of her face and throbbing along with her pulse. It certainly definitely hurt more than she anticipated as the Warlock ran her fingers over the purple mark on her cheek, wincing at the sensitivity of the skin.

When she looked over at the ginger, tears were leaking down the sides of her face as she bit back a snarl. “You’re such an ass,” her words were choked by the sobs that threatened to escape as she lowered her hand. “I thought we meant something.”

Gingerly rubbing the pain out of her face, Mira gave the Bladedancer a dismissive look. “Don’t take it personally, Aeon. I’ve never cared much for romance – with anyone really.” Mira’s voice wavered as she spoke, but fortunately Aeon didn’t seem to catch it.

“Yeah, well,” Pausing to wipe her face, Aeon pushed her chair back and grabbed her coat. “I’m not going to be your tragedy anymore. Good luck with your research.” She said bitterly as she threw her coat on and walked out of the restaurant.

Mira stood where she was, eyes following the Hunter’s form to the end of the street before disappearing with a shimmer of light. With Aeon gone, the Sunsinger slumped back in her seat, feeling more drained and tired than if she had just fought her way through a Fallen encampment.

More than that, she was surprised when she reached to rub some energy back into her eyes and her fingers came away wet. It took Mira a long moment to register the tears welling up in her eyes, and with it brought a pain in her throat that she couldn’t swallow.

There was a small flash of light at the edge of her peripheral vision before a soft voice spoke up. “You ok?”

“No-- I’m not ok,” Mira had meant to say something snide or sarcastic to the Ghost in response, but all that came out was the truth in a cracked voice that made the Warlock want to hit herself. This time, she couldn’t stop the tears that flowed down her face, but she _could_ bring her voice back under control. “Go ahead: you can tell me you ' _told me so_ '.” She grumbled as she batted the tears away with the back of her hand.

The Ghost was silent for a few seconds, only ticking its shell back and forth in thought. “I wasn’t going to. I really liked her too, y’know?”

“Yeah, well,” Mira coughed to clear the sting at the back of her throat, doing very little to ease the pain as she composed herself. “I don’t think we’ll be hearing from her in a while,” Lumiere cast his eye down in despondency.

 _Why is he sulking? I’m the one that had to break up with her_.

“…Thanks…for keeping her Ghost out of it. I…bet it wasn’t easy.”

“Jolly was…actually pretty understanding,” Lumiere stated hesitantly. “Though…maybe it’s because I told her early on…not to expect this to end well.”

“Wow,” Mira said flatly. “Thank you – for having so much faith in me.”

“I’m just saying…” the Ghost shot back before trailing off with a sigh. “Anyway, you should know that Jolly tried to talk Aeon out of seeing you, but she insisted on trying to make it work with you.”

“This was a mistake,” Mira said with a groan, afraid her voice would fail her again if she spoke any louder. “I can’t believe I fooled myself into believing something could come of this.”

“The only mistake you made was not being honest with that girl,” Lumiere replied as he darted in inches from Mira’s face. “Why couldn’t you just tell her how you really felt?”

“To what end?” she snapped back at the Spark quietly. “To form a bond? Fall in love? Start a family?”

Lumiere paused to blink a couple times at the Warlock. “Is that so wrong?”

“I’m a Guardian, Lumiere – so is she. We don’t _get_ normal relationships,” turning her head towards the sound of approaching footsteps, Mira watched the young chef approach her table. “It’s just the price of living forever.” She mumbled into her hand – loud enough so only her Ghost heard.

“Excuse me,” the young man greeted as he approached. “Sorry to eavesdrop on your…um, argument.”

“It’s alright. I should’ve been more subtle if I didn’t want to draw attention.” Mira apologised in a friendlier tone, trying to force a smile.

“Can you still manage the bill for tonight?” he asked, his voice carrying with it a faint accent, likely of Southeast Asian descent.

“Yes of course,” she said as she passed the boy a Glimmer chit. “I’m terribly sorry for the disturbance we caused.”

 _You caused,_ Lumiere silently told her, to which she silently told him to can it.

The boy shrugged. “No one else here but you and me…well, and Ma back in stock,” he rocked back and forth on his heels for a moment, staring at the chit as if he had something else to say. “Y’know…Ma keeps some good spirits in the cooler for special occasions, but she never uses them. Certainly won’t notice if you would happen to want some. At half-price, no less.”

Mira couldn’t help but snort out a laugh. “I’m flattered, but aren’t you a little young to be drinking – with a Guardian, no less?”

The boy took a moment to catch on to what Mira was implying, to which he let out a hearty laugh. “I won’t drink. I still have to close up shop, but I’ve seen the look in your eyes before – in other despondent customers. This’d be a safe place as any if you want to…how do they say? _Say bí…_ drink heavy?”

She pondered the offer for a second before waving him off. “No thanks. I need a clear head for later.”

“Ok. Kitchen’s closed now, but feel free to leave whenever.” He said before turning around to walk back over to the counter.

Checking her digital watch to find that it was only ten o’clock, Mira sighed as she rested her head on an arm. _It’s going to be a long night._ “On second thought,” she called out to the boy. “One drink wouldn’t hurt.”

* * *

“Ghost!” Mira hollered at the pinprick of light down the empty alley. “How much did I drink?”

“And here I thought you knew how to count?” came the snarky reply from Lumiere.

“I do,” the Warlock slurred, leaning her forehead against the nearby brick wall. “I’m smart like that.”

“Then why am I leading you back to your room in the dead of night through a deserted street?” he asked as he floated next to the Awoken’s head. When she turned to look at him, the Ghost shone a biometric scanning beam in her face.

“Because I’m sad and sloshed and you were supposed to stop me after four glasses,” she whined, flinching away from the bright light as a hand came up to bat the Ghost away. “Knock it off.”

“Your body’s still processing all the alcohol you drank. Thankfully you stopped drinking when you did, otherwise we’d need to detox you in the morning,” Lumiere stated as he switched off his scanner. “You’ll be fine after some sleep, though expect a mild hangover and headache.”

“Seems like I went one glass over the euphoric stimulant threshold. I’ll have to keep that in mind for-” Mira stopped for a moment as she stumbled a few steps and quickly held both hands to her mouth.

“Mira! You ok?” Lumiere asked, concerned as he prepared another scan in case he missed something.

Fighting back against her stomach – which seemed intent on emptying itself, the Warlock forced herself to swallow her saliva before speaking. “I’m fine,” she choked out. A few heavy breaths later, she pushed herself back to her feet. “I’m not throwing up.” She muttered to herself.

“Urgh, you’re lucky I walked us down one of the abandoned streets. Otherwise you’d probably do something to embarrass the both of us.” Lumiere scoffed as he floated a few metres ahead.

“Oh, please,” Mira scoffed, blinking away the blurriness in her vision as she regained a sense of balance. “You really think I care what anyone thinks of me?”

“Well, putting it that way-” Lumiere suddenly gasped. “By the Light! Osiris?!”

“Osiris!” Mira yelped as she spun around too fast for her own good. Her vision spun and the Warlock worried she would topple over. However, as her eyes darted around the empty alley behind her, they gradually cleared enough for her to level a glare at her Ghost.

“I think I rest my case.” Lumiere gloated as he floated off.

“We both know I wouldn’t have even flinched if you had mentioned _any_ other name.” Mira shot back as she made to follow her Ghost.

The road they travelled was a little undermaintained, with several potholes and ditches that Mira narrowly avoided tripping over before she found herself back on the main road to the Tower. Looking about, Mira was surprised by how familiar her surroundings were, despite being completely lost just a moment ago.

“I didn’t know we could cut through the city through there,” she mumbled to herself before glancing at Lumiere. “How’d you know about this shortcut?”

The Ghost shrugged its shell bits. “I spend some time now and again mapping out The City. You’ll be surprised how out-of-date the maps they hand out to refugees can b-”

A loud, shrill beeping interrupted the Ghost, his eye flashing along with the beeps. The Warlock’s eyes darted about for the source of the sound, before she realised that it was coming from her wrist link.

Without checking the caller’s identity code, and Mira slammed the button to accept the call with the back of her hand and raised her communicator to her face. “Whoever this is, now is _not_ the time! Call back later.”

“…Ok. Not the response I was expecting, but if you insist…” Tristan replied hesitantly from the other end of the line.

“Goo-- wait, Bentlix! Don’t hang up!” Mira quickly spluttered, sobering up instantly. “I didn’t expect you to call so soon.”

“Yeah, well that new defragmenting program I helped put together worked a lot better than I thought it would. Your data is now _slightly_ less of a mess than it was when you first sent it to me...wait, are you drunk?”

“Nevermind that. What did you find?” Mira asked impatiently.

“Honestly? Not much,” The Sunsinger deflated immediately at Tristan’s words, suddenly feeling the exhaustion of the day kick in. “Literally ninety-two percent of what you sent me is junk data – either useless, or too corrupted to use.”

“And the eight percent?”

“The eight percent’s…well, it’s probably best if I just send it to you. I don’t know what to make of it, myself.”

Mira’s datapad chimed as it received the incoming data package, this time checking for the identification codes of its sender. “Thank you, Bentlix. I’ll have Lumiere send you the Glimmer immediately.”

“ _And_ Chloris’ contact?”

“And Chloris’ contact…though I think I’ll have to send that one myself.”

On the other end of the line, the Human Warlock let out a long yawn. “Yeah, you do that. I’m gonna catch some zees. Hope it helps with…whatever the hell you’re doing.”

“Goodnight, Tristan.” With that, the Awoken clicked off the communicator and pulled out her datapad. Backing herself up against the wall of a nearby building, Mira quickly opened the data package and quickly scanned its contents for what she was looking for.

She opened a folder marked ‘Eight Percent Goodness’ – rolled her eyes at the name – and opened the one file in it.

Mira read the data once. Then twice. Then ran the file through a data-to-frequency converter.

Then she was sprinting towards the Tower – her earlier exhaustion all but forgotten.

“Lumiere! Alert the Vanguard! I have something!”

* * *

“It’s a Golden Age distress signal!” she announced, tapping the telemetry feed of the borrowed projector on the table to display her findings to the Vanguard.

“Mira, we specifically asked you _not_ to look into this further,” Ikora chided as she tapped out a stick of caffeine powder into her coffee. “You disobeyed a direct Vanguard order.”

“Yes, but it’s a _Golden Age distress signal frequency_!” Mira continued as the projector lit up. “Look!” a flat holographic display of two signal waves appeared, one of top of the other before layering together. “It’s almost a ninety-eight-point nine percent match! It’s likely that the inconsistency was due to the signal interference, so if we take that into account-”

“Mira!” Ikora’s voice boomed in a way that Mira couldn’t remember ever hearing before, causing her to stumble as she turned to meet the enraged eyes of the Warlock Vanguard. “It doesn’t matter _what_ you found. You have shown clear disregard for our authority and trust. Frankly, none of us want to hear what you have to say.”

“Word of advice, Vuul?” Cayde offered, stifling a yawn as he walked by the Sunsinger to take his place at the table. “If you’re gonna do something to annoy us, don’t do it at three in the morning. It just makes us all crankier.”

It only just seemed to occur to the Warlock how deep in hot water she was. She had barely acknowledged the presence of the Vanguard before she went off on her excited ramblings, starting as soon as she heard Cayde’s heavy footsteps and Zavala’s heavier footsteps. Looking at them now, none of them seemed even slightly willing to hear her out.

Zavala, especially, looked like he was about five seconds from throwing her through the window on the far side of the war room.

“Alright, look,” Mira began diplomatically. “I know what I did was wrong but, surely we can set that aside for the moment. Please,” she all but begged as she slid her datapad across the table to Ikora. “Just look over my numbers while I explain my theory.”

“Theory?” Zavala asked with a raised eyebrow. “What theory could you have possibly concocted with how little we know?”

“Well, I actually had eleven theories in mind, but this one seems to be the most likely.” Mira half-muttered as she watched Ikora pick up her datapad.

Opening it, the Warlock Vanguard glanced at the screen briefly before sighing. “Let’s hear it.” Ikora demanded in a tired, uncaring tone.

“In short: it’s a distress signal coming from an undiscovered Golden-Age bunker – possibly a military installation!” Mira explained excitedly as she waved her Ghost over to alter the projector. “Snow said that the signal called to him – and only him. That means that something deliberately sent out a coded signal.” the holographic projection changed to a map of Venus and its two major continents.

“You suggest someone in a lost bunker that has been cut off from the rest of the universe for hundreds of years called a single Ghost to find it?” Zavala questioned.

“Of course not. Considering the state that we found the bunkers of the Ishtar Collective to be in, I wouldn’t expect anyone to have survived this long. I hypothesise that the signal was sent out as a- a timed beacon or an emergency systems protocol-- like one of those Golden-Age time capsules.”

“Mira, every time capsule the Hunters have ever dug up or uncovered on Earth have been compromised one way or another. Nearly all their contents have come back useless due to environmental damage, so tell me: why do you think a time capsule on Venus, the hottest, humidiest, most overgrown planet in the system, would have anything worth digging around for.” Cayde asked.

The Sunsinger shrugged. “Maybe the people on the Aphrodite highlands built them more to last.”

“I’m sorry-- the Aphrodite Highlands?” Ikora interrupted in a confounded tone.

“Yes, that’s the other thing I was supposed to mention!” Mira said with a clap of her hands. “Based on the sorted junk data, I-”

“We.” Lumiere corrected.

“… _We_ sorted through, _Lumiere_ was able to identify the origin code of the corrupted telemetry feed and came to a startling-”

“Correlation,” Lumiere interjected as he shot Mira a look. “I know you were going to say ‘ _Conclusion_ ’ or ‘ _Revelation_ ’, but it’s neither of those and frankly I don’t want you incriminating me in this any more than you already have.”

“Fine-- yes, correlation,” Mira growled in annoyance as she gestured at her Ghost to continue its work. “Just explain it to the Vanguard already.”

Muttering something to himself, Lumiere fired an activation beam at the projector to display two windows, each filled with lines of code. “One segment of command text in the origin code has the exact same encoding signature as an algorithm recovered from a crashed Warsat by Guardians over five years ago – right here, see?” The windows each zoomed in on a line of code identical to one another. “The code from that Warsat,” The Ghost tapped a button on the side of the projector, changing it like a set of slides. “Came from here.”

All three Vanguard commanders stared up at the symbol being projected: two small circles within a larger circle, sitting just above its southern hemisphere on top of one another. “Oscar?” Cayde asked as he squinted at the word on display.

“The Office of Solar Computation, Aeronautics and Research,” Mira explained. “Allegedly, they were part of the original Cytherean colonisation effort and worked closely with Clovis Bray to develop large-scale solar harvesters across Mercury and Venus.”

“How do you even know all this?” Ikora interjected in an accusatory tone. “OSCAR’s research is classified information. Its mere existence has been kept secret for over a century,” her eyes narrowed at the Awoken woman. “How did you come across this information?”

“Does it even matter?”

“ _How_ , Mira?!”

“I hacked Owl Sector! That’s how!” Mira exclaimed, her alcohol-addled mind only realising what she had said a second later. Her hands shot up to cover her mouth, as if to stop the words from escaping, but it was already too late.

“You did _what_?” Ikora snarled.

“I…” Mira sighed, hanging her head as she resigned herself to the truth. “I bugged a terminal in the situation room while I was visiting,” her hands instinctually wrung themselves together as she gave Ikora a sheepish look. “That time I went to volunteer as a Guardian consultant for them.”

She tried looking to her Ghost for support, but the swirl of emotions between them made it difficult to read each other’s thoughts. The only thing that gave her any insight to how her Ghost felt was the fearful way its eye twitched about – the same way Mira’s were prone to do when she was scared.

“I can’t believe you, Mira!” Ikora practically shouted, her expression aghast and betrayed. “As if going behind the Vanguard’s back wasn’t enough. What other classified information have you stolen?”

“Only what’s necessary to keep the City safe.” Mira bit back.

“What qualifies you to deem what is necessary?” Zavala shot at her, his tone conveying his irritation and frustrations clearly enough. “You are not above the law, Vuul. You alone do not decide what is best for the City.”

“Well none of _you_ clearly know what’s best for the City either!” Mira shouted back, her fear manifesting itself as pure, unbridled rage. “All you do is sit around and talk! You never get anything done, taking months at a time to make even the simplest decisions! _I’m_ the only one here serving the Traveller with the dedication it _deserves_!”

It took Mira a moment to regain her breath, but when she did the Warlock didn’t feel any better for it. She felt exposed to the Vanguard, her intentions bare and the start of a headache making it difficult to think. She felt sick to her stomach – sick with fear.

“I…” she stammered out as she took in Zavala and Ikora’s disapproving glares. “I…” looking to Cayde for help, the Hunter Vanguard just shook his head solemnly.

“Leave, Vuul. You will be summoned again when the Vanguard have reached a verdict.” Zavala ordered.

“But I-” she stammered but stopped when Zavala took a step towards her. The sound his greaves made when it slammed against the ground caused her to flinch backwards – right into the large hand poised to grab her shoulder. It was almost enough to send her into a fight-or-flight response, if it weren’t for the rough, calm voice that next spoke.

“Come, Mira,” Shaxx said as he urged her to leave the war room with him. “Let the Vanguard talk.”

“Don’t worry,” Cayde said, loud enough that Mira could hear him clearly. “This won’t take long.”


	5. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mira faces the consequences of her actions. With the City against her and loyalties under question, who can the Sunsinger turn to for aid?
> 
> And what cost will it come at?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Being in lockdown has given me more time to write...which also means more time to procrastinate, unfortunately.
> 
> Still, didn't have the heart to give this more than two re-reads, so feel free to critique. I'm always looking to improve.

**The Hall of Guardians, The Last Safe City, Earth…**

Mira was alerted to Shaxx’s return by the sound of his heavy footsteps. He stopped before her, waiting for the Warlock to look up at him before speaking.

“Here,” he said, offering a steaming mug of something black in one hand. “This should help clear your mind, Warlock.”

Staring at the offering for a few seconds, Mira eventually pulled one hand free from under her chin to take it. “Thank you, Shaxx.”

Currently, the Warlock was slouched forward on a metal drum Shaxx had offered her to sit on, her knees drawn against the base of her makeshift chair. Her arms held up her head like crooked support beams and was certain that if she had walked by herself, normal Mira would have sneered at her pathetic posture.

The Warlock supposed she might deserve it, given how her body always seem to project how she felt and right now, Mira didn’t feel like putting in the effort to hide it.

Instead, she brought the mug close to her face and sniffed it curiously. Her nose crinkled in disgust at the foul, acrid smell. Shaxx noticed the reaction immediately and let out a booming chuckle. “If you can’t stand the smell of it, you’ll never be able to stomach its taste.”

“If it tastes anything like it smells, I’d be inclined to believe you’re serving me a cup of motor oil.” Mira grumbled, much to Shaxx’s amusement before taking a short, hesitant sip. Despite the quartermaster’s warning, the drink didn’t taste as bad as she thought it would; it was like this waxy resin she once drank off the bark of a tree in the European Dead Zone, only warmer and spicier.

“Shaxx, are you sure that’s safe for my Guardian to drink?” Lumiere asked worriedly. “I’m picking up some compounds in it that aren’t usually meant for consumption.”

“If it weren’t safe, Ghost, I doubt I’d be around to share it with anyone. Besides,” he grabbed a nearby steel drum, sitting across from Mira as he spoke. “-It hasn’t killed anyone I know, yet. And what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger.”

“Mhmm, and how exactly did you come across this…curious concoction?” Mira asked, one leg rising to rest its heel on her barrel as she propped her head on her knee.

“Now that…is a story _I_ think best told by Lord Saladin.” Shaxx said with a chuckle, which Mira couldn’t help but mimic despite herself.

A few seconds passed by in silence as Mira took her time with her brew, the only sound to be heard Arcite 99-40 as it rearranged shipping containers nearby. With nothing to distract her, Mira’s eyes inevitably drifted back to the sealed doors separating the Vanguard’s war room from the rest of the Tower.

The doors were thick and opaque, giving her no insight to the events transpiring just on the other side of them. She stared at them for a few seconds before sighing and casting her forlorn gaze down to the old Titan’s greaves. “What do you suppose they’ll do to me?”

Shaxx took a long pause, looking the young Warlock up and down before speaking. “I’m not sure.”

The Awoken chanced a glance at the Crucible Handler. “…What would you do, then? In their position?”

With a scoff, Shaxx crossed his large, armoured arms over his chest. “The next time Zavala lets me do _his_ job, it’ll be to fight off another armada from beyond the edge of this system. They’ll have broken the City by then, and I’d be left with nothing but my bare hands and whatever Guardians he’ll leave me,” Mira stared at him with one raised eyebrow, perplexed by the sudden outburst. Shaxx seemed to remember himself after a second, however, and looked at Mira when he next spoke. “I suppose that’s why no one hopes the day comes that I’d _have_ to take charge.”

“Humour me,” Mira replied, forcing a grin. “Pretend for one moment you had a say in what happened to me – and that the fate of the City wasn’t hanging in the balance.”

Drumming out a rhythm against one of his pauldrons, the Titan turned his head to stare down the entryway to the Hall of Guardians. “For what you said in there? I’d have thrown you into the wall and caved your chest in with only the heel of my boot.”

Mira winced at the admission, wondering if that was how Zavala – or perhaps Ikora – felt at that moment.

Shaxx turned back to look at her. “But then I’d have let the matter be. Made sure you returned to your quarters to conclude our discussion in the morning.” He said in a softer voice.

“You would have helped me?” the Sunsinger asked, her eyes glowing with hope.

“No,” The Crucible Handler replied after a second. “Your quest sounds both dangerous and ill-informed. I wouldn’t waste a single Redjack on it,” the Titan leaned forward then, as if to study Mira’s face and it made her lean back in discomfort. “You’re _also_ not in the right state of mind – I can practically _smell_ the intoxication on you from here.”

A fierce blush bloomed on Mira’s cheeks in her embarrassment. She had been so excited to reveal her new information to the Vanguard and prove them wrong that she had not even considered stopping to make herself more presentable. She probably looked very unprofessional in her mussed-up dinnerware.

Just as she thought he was finished, Shaxx put a hand on Mira’s shoulder to hold her attention. “I would, however, try to make you see reason and ask that you give up on your mission. There are many more things a Warlock like yourself could better put your mind to.”

She considered his words for a moment, staring at the white and orange visage of his helmet before shaking her head slowly. “I can’t,” Mira muttered. “I know I’m right. And…if it’s true, if any of what I believe is true, this is too big of an opportunity to pass up just because the Vanguard doesn’t want to,” the Awoken’s features hardened with resolve. “So, no. I’m afraid nothing you, or anyone, might say could sway me from this path.”

Taking a moment to mull over her words, Shaxx eventually breathed out a deep sigh. “Then I’d wish you luck.”

Before she could ask the Titan what he meant, the nearby blast doors slid open wide enough for a single Frame to pass through. Its slow, mechanical walk took it to a stop just before the two Guardians.

“Guardian. The Vanguard have reached a decision. They have requested your presence.” The Frame declared before standing aside and holding out an arm to usher the Warlock forward.

With that, Shaxx stood up and began walking towards the plaza exit. “I best be off to secure tomorrow’s Crucible arenas. The Hive have put up an admirable resilience these past few weeks,” As Mira stood and followed the Frame, she heard Shaxx shout over his shoulder. “You’re always welcome to stop by for a round of Rumble…if you’re still around.”

Mira didn’t stop to think about his words as she descended the short flight of steps to the Vanguard’s meeting table.

The first thing she noticed was how much darker the room was now, though Mira admittedly hadn’t really taken note of the lighting when she burst into the war room to prepare her presentation. All three Vanguard commanders followed her with their eyes as she approached the head of the table, footsteps slowing the closer she got.

A furtive glance over her shoulder revealed that the Frame escorting her had stopped at the top of the stairs. It made her feel more exposed – more vulnerable – in a way; knowing that she was walking towards certain doom alone.

_Stop that,_ she chided herself. _This is no time for childish fears._

When she finally walked into the edge of the table, Mira found that her hands had begun to shake – barely noticeable, but difficult to still. Gripping the table to steady herself, the Warlock opened her mouth to speak.

And was immediately cut off. “The Vanguard ask that you remain silent as we pass our verdict.” Ikora quickly announced, already anticipating Mira’s attempt to talk her way out of this. Instead, the young Sunsinger snapped her jaw shut and gave a slow, tentative nod to her mentor.

Ikora glanced at Zavala, indicating that he was to start. “Mira Vuul, in light of recent events, you have shown disregard for the chain-of-command, disrespect towards your superiors and dishonourable conduct unworthy of a Guardian of your calibre,” The speech was – as per typical Zavala – simple, but blunt and to the point. Wanting to say something in her defence but too concerned about the consequences, Mira simply hung her head in shame. “Through your deceitful actions, you have brought shame to the Vanguard and the Warlock Order by acting in your own self-interest. Your obsession with this anomaly and the Vex at large have skewed your judgement and behaviour,” Zavala paused before muttering, “Not to mention your record of Osirian tendencies.”

Mira looked up with a start. “Osir—” she couldn’t help but rush to justify herself. “Zavala, I’m not-”

“As head of the Vanguard, it is my duty to consider and decide upon what is best for The Last City and all Guardians under Vanguard jurisdiction.” Zavala interrupted, his eyes boring into Mira and making her involuntarily shrink in on herself.

She braced herself for what was to come. It was clear that she had finally crossed a line with Ikora and the rest of the Vanguard. She had suspected that her reputation with them had been strained ever since the Deimos Crisis, but obviously – despite having solved the problem herself – the Vanguard had not forgiven her deception.

_‘Therefore, effective immediately, you are to be exiled from The Last City_. _’_

“Therefore, effective immediately, your status as an active field operative has been suspended.”

Whatever defence Mira had in mind for her sentence died in her throat at Zavala’s words. For once, Mira had been caught completely off-guard. “…Pardon?”

“You will not be allowed to take part in, organise or coordinate any Strikes or Vanguard operations. You are forbidden from returning to Venus or any other off-world destination. You will be confined to the City and only allowed to perform non-combatant tasks within our territories until the next Consensus hearing, where we will discuss your reinstatement. How that turns out will depend entirely on how well we believe you can follow protocol.” A pause as the three Guardians looked between one another. “Have you anything to say in your defence?”

Mira was dumbstruck by the generosity of her sentence – especially considering her earlier outburst. “You’re…you’re not going to exile me?”

As Zavala quirked an eyebrow in question, Ikora spoke to answer her question. “Exile is a punishment reserved for Guardians that spread dangerous philosophies and pose a danger to the City at large – like Toland or Osiris. You, however, only pose a danger to yourself with your hazardous obsessions,” Ikora explained, regarding the young Warlock with a calm neutrality that belied the seriousness of her words. “This isn’t the first time we’ve had to deal with a Guardian under…similar conditions, which is the stance we’ll take for now.”

_Similar conditions? Following in the footsteps of the greatest Guardian, you mean?_ Mira thought bitterly. _Just because the Osirian Position is ‘hazardous’ doesn’t mean it’s wrong,_ She cursed the Vanguard internally for acting as if she were another mad Lightbearer in need of treatment. _My ‘obsessions’ are what make me strong._

“Make no mistake, Mira,” Ikora continued in a sterner tone. “Failure to cooperate with this sentence will be seen as a direct violation of a Vanguard directive, and _will_ be dealt with more severely.”

Casting her eyes down to the table, they widened subtly in surprise when she noticed her glowing hands clenching the edge of the table. Hastily dropping her hands to her sides, Mira glanced up at the Warlock Vanguard to see if she noticed, but Ikora’s impassive expression gave nothing away. “I get it,” While Mira had not intended for her words to carry so much bite, the fact didn’t seem to pass Ikora. Mira was quick to add, in a more neutral tone, “Was there anything else?”

“Only that this verdict is final. There will be no negotiations or changes to the terms,” Zavala concluded as he waved his Ghost over to him. “You may return to your quarters now.”

“…Sir.” As Mira prepared to turn and leave, she noticed with some alarm that there were now imprints in the table where her hands had been. The dark-grey metal seemed to have been warped by heat in the shape of two hands, gripping its edge.

“Alright, kid. That’s your cue to scram,” Cayde announced with a clap of his hands and a long yawn, startling the Warlock to no one’s notice. “Some of us actually have sleep they’d like to catch up on.”

Mira’s fists tightened at her sides in frustration. What angered her most was how flippant the Vanguard seemed about this whole ordeal – as if they were doing her a kindness. As far as she was concerned, the punishment she had been meted was unjust and an act of arrogant cowardice.

She wanted to scream and yell and berate the Vanguard and set the whole Tower aflame with her Radiance, but she restrained herself lest she be dealt a harsher, more permanent sentence.

Instead, she spared one last hardened glare at the Vanguard before turning and leaving the Hall of Guardians behind, her feet carrying her all the way to the Guardian living quarters in the Tower. She paid no mind to the few Guardians and civilians milling about this time of night as she walked down the familiar path with her eyes fixed to the ground.

Lumiere’s voice eventually broke the heavy silence of the night. “Just so you know, I’ve been given strict orders by the other Ghosts to update them every twelve hours on your activities.”

“Well make sure to tell them that they can go choke on a Hand Cannon – them and their Guardians!” Mira spat out reflexively, slamming the call button for the elevator with her fist. Waiting for the elevator to arrive, Mira’s temper gradually cooled as exhaustion sunk in. Her thoughts lingered on her latest outburst before she quickly corrected herself. “…Please don’t tell them I said that.”

“I’m only supposed to report on your actions. You’re free to vent to me if you want,” there was a soft chime as the elevator doors slid open, bathing their section of the corridor with a white light. The sudden change in brightness caused Mira to wince as she swayed into the metal box and jammed the button for her floor. “Though, I think you should get some rest before you do anything else.”

“Agreed.” Mira stated, letting her head thump against the elevator wall as it descended. She shut her eyes against the glare of the white light reflecting off the white walls. It seemed the events of the days had finally caught up with her and – were in not for Shaxx’s drink causing her pulse to beat a rapid rhythm in her ears – the Warlock might have fallen asleep then and there. “Urgh, this is a nightmare.”

It took no small effort for the Awoken to pry her forehead from the side of the elevator once it chimed to indicate she had arrived on her floor. Following the guiding light of her Ghost, the Warlock managed to stumble through the empty hallway back to her quarters.

She made no effort to clean herself up before going to bed; simply locking the door behind her, throwing herself onto the reclining mattress pushed into a corner of the room, and cried softly into her pillow until sleep took her.

* * *

**17 th Floor, Guardian Living Quarters, The Tower, Earth…**

It was the irregular sparking of an arc welder just down the corridor that finally woke Mira up.

Her eyes cracked open a fraction as she quickly scanned her surroundings before pulling her comforter over her head. “Ghost, tint the windows a little! It’s too bright!” she shouted through the heavy blanket. Mira waited a few seconds as she listened to the buzz of the windows darkening before climbing out of the covers. “Should’ve known better than to choose room in the middle of the Eastern wing.” The Warlock grumbled as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

“That’s not what you said when you picked this room,” Lumiere commented from his bed – made up of one overstuffed throw pillow - on Mira’s nightstand. “You said you liked the morning sunlight.”

“Yeah? Well I must have been lying or deluded.” She grumbled as she made to draw the rolling shutters down. Holding onto the plastic drawstring, the Awoken paused when her eyes landed on the morning sun. It had risen well past the horizon line but was still half obscured by the wall on the south side of the city.

It was beautiful, that much she would admit. The tinted windows allowed Mira the chance to admire it in all its glory; the way it lit up the sky in a plethora of colours, the way its rays cast deep shadows behind the rooftops of buildings.

Mira realised, with a hint of sentimental sadness, that it had been too long since she took the time to just admire the sunrise. When she had first begun her Sunsinger training, the sight of the rising sun would be the one thing that would never fail to motivate her each day – always willing to look at the world in wonder and hope. The hope that she and the rest of the City would live to see a million more sunrises just like it.

_The dreams of children and the naïve,_ Mira mused as she rolled the shutters down and walked over to her front door. Throwing it open, she caught sight of an Exo engineer using an arc welder to fuse a segment of bronze pipe behind a square of uncovered wall.

Stopping at the sound of Mira’s open door, the Exo looked up just in time to see the scowl on Mira’s face. “Do you mind? Some of us are trying to have a breakdown!”

“Sorry, ma’am. Eastern wing’s been having complaints about the water pressure. Seems a few repairs to the pipes are in order,” the Exo apologised in a calm, professional voice. “We posted a notice two days in advance.”

“Well, I only just got back so-” Mira paused. "Are you telling me the water's not working?"

"Uh, no ma'am," The Exo stopped himself. "Uh, that is...I've already checked the piping up to your room, and everything's in order. Water is still being directed to your quarters."

"I see. Well..." She tried to think of something else to ask the engineer. When nothing came to mind, she grabbed the door and edged back into her room. “Carry on.”

After shutting the door behind her, Mira sighed with inward frustration as she skulked over to the bathroom. She splashed her face with some water and removed last night’s makeup – making sure to rub out the eyeliner tear streaks – before proceeding to take a shower.

One quick, thorough shower later, the Awoken was drying her hair with a towel before the bathroom mirror, at the same time musing over the cosmetics in her medicine cabinet. As she brought out her hair dryer to finish the job, Lumiere zipped in through the gap in the door.

“So, I just checked, and the next Consensus hearing isn’t for a couple months!” The Ghost spoke up over the roar of the blow dryer. Switching off the device shortly after, Mira waited for her Ghost to continue, watching him through her reflection while combing her hair. “Any suggestions on what to do until then? I’m good if you wanna just…stay in here and catch up on some reading.”

Settling on a simple foundation, Mira rubbed the cream between her hands as she applied it first to the indigo patches under her eyes. “Well, for starters, I’d like it if you could find whatever you can about the Aphrodite Region on Venus and its general geography. Meanwhile I’ll arrange a few meetings to set us up with some field equipment.”

For a moment, the Ghost just stared at his Guardian, perplexed, before its shell creased in what Mira interpreted to be a frown. “Did you miss the fact that the Vanguard almost exiled us over this? And now you want to go through with this against their orders?!”

“I’m not about to give up just because the Vanguard thinks I’m wrong,” Mira muttered, looking at her reflection as she spread the periwinkle cream across her cheeks. “You saw what our mysterious unknown did at the Silereum. We have a duty to the Traveller to assess and neutralise this threat – and don’t tell me I’m wrong, I know you feel it too.”

Lumiere let out a frustrated groan as he tilted towards the ceiling and slumped the sides of his shell. “Even so, we’ve been given direct orders. If we disobey them now – break our probation – who knows what they’ll do to us.”

“Can’t be any worse than being grounded to the City.” Mira shot back, earning a disapproving glare from her Ghost. Mira whirled around on Lumiere as she continued. “Remember what you told me when you first raised me? You said, ‘You and I were meant to be the best possible Guardians we could be,’ and that means doing what we feel is right.”

“Within reason, Mira!” The Spark stressed before sighing, shutting his eye. “Look, I know you think we could be doing more good _out there_ , but there’s a lot of good we can still do _here_. In the City. There’s always work that needs to be done.”

“I’m a Guardian, Lumiere,” Mira stated as she walked by the Ghost to her wardrobe. “Community service is…a waste of our potential.” She struggled to think of the most diplomatic way of putting it as she selected her outfit for today.

“That’s not true, Mira.”

“No? And I suppose combating the Vex is of the same level of importance as welding pipes?” she said, gesturing towards the corridor with one arm. “What about disrupting a Cabal Battlefleet?” Mira asked as she held out a black and purple tunic to her chest before placing it back as she turned to face the disapproving look her Ghost gave her. “Lumiere,” she began in a softer voice. “Don’t you believe in me?”

The Ghost looked surprised by the question, but his expression quickly hardened with resolve. “Of course I believe you, but I want us to have reliable intel and a solid plan before we take any action.”

Nodding firmly, Mira turned back to her wardrobe as she picked out a crimson and maroon set of formal robes. “Then you work on gathering the intel while I come up with the plan – and tick some items off the list of things we’ll need.”

“Alright,” The Ghost replied, turning to use the datapoint in Mira’s quarters before spinning back around. “Wait, where are you going to get supplies?”

“If you’re worried about me not being discreet enough: don’t. I’ll just put a requisition order in with Lakshmi and tell her as little about the plan as I can.” The Awoken explained as she hung her towel by the wardrobe’s handle and began dressing herself.

“The FWC?” Lumiere asked speculatively. “…You sure that’s the best idea?”

“I’m practically a senior member of the cult. I’ve run over three dozen operations for them over my lifetime, and I’ve always put them first,” Mira listed off as she clasped the metal buttons that ran down the centre of her robes. “I’m confident that my loyalty alone will get us what we need.”

* * *

“I’m sorry, Warlock. But the answer is no.”

Mira did a double take as her eyes drifted down to scan over her requisitions manifest a second time, jerking her head up to meet Lakshmi’s gaze. “No?” Mira repeated, not having prepared herself for that response at all. “But- it’s just a simple requisition request, Lakshmi. I know the War Cult’s a little strict on supply right now, but surely-”

“I know what you intend to do, Mira,” Lakshmi interjected, holding up a hand for silence. “The Vanguard has already informed me of your probationary period and expressed their intent that the War Cult not be allowed to aid you.”

Glancing about, Mira’s shoulders tensed as her eyes traced the various faces around them. Though it was by no means the preferred option, asking the FWC representative to meet her at a public location would draw less attention from the Vanguard than if she had gone straight to the FWC’s hideout. As such, the Sunsinger had asked the Exo to meet her at a small food court east of the Tower; where various fruit vendors sold slices of their produce at stunningly low prices.

Once she was sure that no one heard Lakshmi utter those incriminating words, she sighed before continuing. “This isn’t-” Mira hesitated, knowing that the pitch of her voice probably gave her away. “About that. I picked up an assignment first thing this morning to help repair an outlying settlement and I need these tools for…repairs.”

Lakshmi seemed to consider the Sunsinger’s reasoning for a moment before folding her arms. “You have many talents, Warlock. Your skills of deception, however, have yet to surpass my own.”

Her breath stilled as the female Exo stared her down while her mind scrambled for a convincing response. It was one thing to bend the rules of engagement in the field, but getting caught lying in the face of her faction rep was an entirely different danger.

The seconds ticked by as Lakshmi made no move to continue the conversation, waiting to hear what Mira had to say. “If it was, surely that would go against the terms of my probation,” the Warlock spoke slowly, so as to allow her mind time to think of where this line of reasoning was going. “But think about the potential scope of my discovery – or the risks it would pose if our enemies got their hands on-”

“I have already brought this up with the inner council. The War Cult _will_ abide by the Vanguard’s ultimatum and will provide you no aid.” Lakshmi stated definitively.

Mira was shocked beyond words by Lakshmi’s declaration. That shock quickly turned to anger when she recalled that for such a motion to be passed, a majority of the FWC’s council members had to have agreed with her. “How dare you?” Mira hissed in the Exo’s face. “After everything I’ve done for the War Cult, you can’t help me in my one time of need?”

“Your loyalty goes unquestioned. It is your actions that instil dubiety.” Lakshmi replied, evenly as ever.

“ _My actions_?” Mira’s voice rose to a yell, turning a few heads their way as she glared at Lakshmi. She didn’t care how much attention she drew at this point. “My actions have _always_ been in the interest of the War Cult! I’ve worn your uniforms proudly – both in the field _and_ in the Crucible – and now you doubt my actions?!”

“Do not take us for fools, Warlock Mira. You are not as subtle as you think,” though her voice remained even, there was a sharp edge to her tone that nearly made Mira flinch. “The recruiters and I know that you only took the mentorship to have the necessary numbers to explore regions deemed too dangerous for a single Guardian. You do not commit to the task, sending each recruit away after only a few days.”

“I…already explained myself,” Mira spoke each word hesitantly, suddenly doubting how well her lie came across. “None of them were up to par and…would’ve only hindered my operations for the War Cult.”

“Do you know how many of your recruits are still _with_ the FWC?” Lakshmi asked, the accusatory tone clear in her voice. Mira’s features turned to stone – too afraid to give an honest response and too stunned to lie, and Lakshmi took her silence as answer enough. “Two have walked away from our cause in the wake of your dismissal. One of them being your latest neophytes.”

It took Mira a moment to realise what Lakshmi meant. “Wait, Aeon left the FWC?!”

“She came an hour before you arrived to return her badge and armour,” the Exo confirmed. “I suspect that was your doing?”

Guilt and embarrassment flooded Mira’s mind as she squeezed her eyes shut, refusing to look at the faction rep. “How much did she tell you about us?” she asked, pinching the bridge of her nose.

“Only that she no longer wanted to be involved with the War Cult for…personal reasons,” Lakshmi clarified. “I divined the rest.”

Sighing in frustration, the Sunsinger ran a hand down her face to compose herself before next turning to face the Exo. “Lakshmi, please, it was never my intention to take advantage of-”

“The council has already reviewed your record in accordance with recent…issues brought up by our Guardians,” Lakshmi interrupted, already knowing what Mira would say in her defence. “The directive recently issued by the Vanguard has also been considered. As such, it is my duty to inform you that your rank of Mentor has been…revoked.”

Mira’s face fell as she drank in the meaning behind Lakshmi’s words. _Five years…five years spent working towards that_ bloody _rank. Gone in a flash._

“Additionally, you will no longer be offered missions by the War Cult during your period of probation,” Lakshmi continued. “You are still welcomed at all FWC installations and outposts, and may use the facilities available at your discretion.”

Nothing irritated Mira more at that moment than Lakshmi’s calm tone of voice – as if the Warlock were talking to a Frame or a complete stranger. _Hell, a Frame has more expression in its voice!_

She was about to launch into another argument with the War Cult rep – and probably endanger her career further – when something in what Lakshmi said began to stand out.

_“You may use the facilities available…”_

Steeling her nerves, Mira instead huffed in indignation before meeting Lakshmi’s impassive expression with a frown. “Alright. I understand.”

Satisfied, Lakshmi folded her arms and bowed her head slightly. “On behalf of the Future War Cult, I thank you for your understanding, Warlock Mira, and offer my condolences.”

The Exo turned around and, as she made to leave, Mira muttered under her breath. “I don’t need your condolences.”

As she descended the flight of stairs to the city street, Mira had to brace herself against the wall to keep from slipping. She felt dizzy; like the floor under her had become molten and was beginning to shift.

_The plan’s ruined. I’ve got nothing left – I’ve run out of assets…_

Her eyes screwed shut, trying to shake the uncertain, nauseating wave of hopelessness that overcame her.

_No, the situation is not hopeless._

Her Ghost took notice of her state, appearing just as she was about to slam another palm against the wall. “Take it easy, Mira. I told you this was going to be a long shot,” Lumiere’s voice lacked the accusing, smug tone usually associated with those words as he tried to ground his Guardian. It took a moment, but Lumiere’s presence eventually helped still the swirl of emotions in her mind. “So, what now?”

“Now, I’m afraid, you’ll have to do some more homework for the both of us,” She ducked down a narrow street lined on either side with workshops, where the people of The Last City could get nearly anything repaired. “If what Lakshmi said is true, then my Advent-Level clearance should still be active. Look up anything you can find on our destination and…Venus’ Umbral Cycle.”

She dreaded the topic ever since Lumiere brought up the fact that their origin code led them to Venus’ second largest, and more uncharted, landmass – which was on the other side of the planet.

Which, incidentally, was beginning its half-year long night.

Guardian and Ghost walked in silence for a while as they pondered returning to the Tower, or if Mira should stop somewhere to _actually_ get lunch. She immediately regretted thinking about food, as the empty churning in her stomach made it hard to think of anything else.

_No time to eat…not until I have some assurance._

Fortunately, Lumiere’s voice was a useful distraction from her physical, mortal needs. “I seriously hope you’re not planning on _actually_ doing this alone.”

“As tempting as the idea sounds, I doubt we’ll succeed without additional help – really, the probabilities are against us and I should know, I did the math myself!”

“Alright then. Had anyone in mind?” the Ghost asked as they joined the main bustle of people heading towards the Tower.

“Well, it would have to be someone with wilderness survival skills – who could go without contact with City forces for months at a time.” Mira noted, after a second of thought.

“They’d probably need to know how to navigate the wilds, too.” Lumiere added.

“Preferably someone who wouldn’t ask too many questions, and isn’t above unconventional warfare.”

“I suppose that also means someone we can trust.”

“And aren’t those in short supply these days,” Mira snorted sarcastically, breaking away from the crowd of civilian workers to use the emergency elevator - that she technically wasn’t allowed to use but no one ever used anyway. “Ok, what else?”

“Maybe someone familiar with the flora and fauna on Venus?”

“More familiar than me?”

“I’m sorry, what’s the longest you’ve had to live on that hot, green rock without calling in a resupply drop from the FOB?”

“…Point taken. Alright, so we’re looking for someone with survival skills and advanced field navigational training,” she listed off each point on her hand. “They need to be familiar with Venus, have advanced combat training – probably a Guardian – and they need to be trustworthy,” Mira tapped a well-trimmed finger to her chin. “No…no…definitely not! Then that just leaves…”

She paused, staring blankly at the closed doors of the elevator as it whisked her to the top of the Tower. Her mind had gone to one particular, disdainful individual who fit nearly all those criteria. _Four out of five, at least,_ Mira thought to herself with a grimace.

Lumiere seemed to catch her expression. “You thinking who I’m thinking of?”

“I seriously hope not.” Mira said with a distasteful sneer.

“Then I am,” When her Guardian shot him a wary, uncomfortable look, the Spark furrowed its shell bits in annoyance. “Tell me one other person that comes to mind who would even _consider_ helping us.”

Mira tried – _really tried_ – to bring to mind anyone else that could afford them that same assurance as she rode the elevator as far as it would go, but still came up blank when its doors finally opened. “Fine,” she growled in annoyance. “You work on digging around what information you can and I’ll…” she sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration.

_I can’t believe I’m doing this._

“…I’ll look for Gull.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: I suspect most of you reading this will probably be aware of the COVID-19 virus catching on faster than an angry Warmind with an omnivorous nanomachine swarm. Where I am right now is in partial lockdown to restrict the spread of the virus in order for our government to identify and isolate the sick.
> 
> I'm not sure what the situation where YOU'RE from is like (maybe some of you can sympathise, maybe you're not under lockdown), but whatever the case, Golden Rule is: practice rudimentary hygiene, don't cough on other people/surfaces, and for Light's sake don't go to large gatherings unless you absolutely have to.
> 
> Last thing I want is to lose any of you to a virus that drowns you.
> 
> If you happen to be infected remember: it's not a fatal plague. I don't know what else to tell ya. Follow quarantine protocol and all that.
> 
> Also don't panic-buy or do other things that might make it difficult for other people to acquire preventative measures.
> 
> (If you're reading this past the point of the pandemic, just ignore it - or let me know and I'll remove it).


	6. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lone Hunter encounters an uncertain ally in the field - who's come to him for an impossible favour.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I hope everyone's staying safe in these trying times. Remember, panicking will not help anyone, and neither is crime.
> 
> In other news, seems like self-isolation hasn't made me any more productive. It HAS given me more time to consider future stories tho, which I guess is something.

**Mothyards, Cosmodrome, Old Russia, Earth…**

Under the blinding light of the noonday sun, three gunshots rang out across an abandoned airfield.

Each bullet glinted in the sunlight before hitting their target, scattering shards of hardened chitin all over the ground. The clap of each gunshot was followed a second after by the sound of a Hive Thrall collapsing in a heap, each with sizable holes in their chests.

Wasting no time, Gull slapped the chamber of his Hand Cannon open and loaded in another ammunition cylinder as the remaining Hive closed in from behind. The Hunter spun on the spot to face two Ritual Acolytes and one Exalted Hive Knight advancing on him from across the field. The Acolytes opened fire with their Shredders while the Knight charged the Guardian – its sword poised the strike.

Undeterred, Gull held his ground and raised his Hand Cannon, taking out each of the Acolytes with a shot to the head before turning his attention to the Knight. It closed the distance quickly – only about a metre away by the time the Gunslinger bore his aim down on it.

In a panic, Gull snapped off a few wild shots as he walked backwards, ineffectively chipping away at the Hive brute’s armour as it continued to close in with an unwavering rage.

The Hunter kept this up until his Hand Cannon gave a dry, empty click, which forced Gull to change his strategy as he holstered his weapon and skidded to a stop. Lowering himself into a crouch as the Knight came within reach of him, Gull dove out of the way as it drove the dark weapon into the ground.

Sliding across the snow-dusted dirt, Gull quickly swung his Fusion Rifle off his back and snapped off a shot, aiming for the Hive brute’s flank. The bolt of Arc energy seared the softer exoskeleton on the Knight’s side as it roared in pain and anger, staggering from the force of the blast.

It turned to retaliate, but was too late as Gull let loose another pulse of energy.

He waited until the Knight’s ashes settled on the ground before standing back up and walking over to where the Knight once stood. The Hive sword was still imbedded in the ground, the hilt extended towards Gull and shimmering with Ascendant energy.

“Ghost, time to target?” he asked as he stared at the hilt in disgust.

“Nine seconds,” his Ghost warned him as he went through the motions of reloading his primary and secondary weapon. “You know what you have to do, Gull.”

The comment made Gull’s stomach turn, his features twisting into a frown as he flexed a hand towards the hilt of the Ascendant Blade. His fingers reached towards it, but never touched the weapon. The air around it felt colder, and it gave off a dark aura that seemed to reach out to him.

“Four seconds left – Gull, take it!” his Ghost pleaded as the nearby ritual circle lit up with green soulfire.

Glancing away with a scowl, Gull weighed up the options and drawbacks in his mind for a second before looking back at the Ascendant Sword.

Then down at his hand-

Before letting it drop into a clenched fist at his side.

“No, I can do this without it.” Gull declared as he turned to face the quartet of Knights that rose out of the summoning circle.

“Gull, you know you can’t kill that Knight without the sword! Only a weapon of Darkness can break its protective ward!” his Ghost reminded him as he squared his shoulders, aiming his Hand Cannon at the next Blade of Crota.

“I can, and I will.” Gull snarled as he squeezed back on the trigger, taking a chunk of the Knight’s head off with his gun. Its head jerked back with the force of the shot, but it recovered as it turned its three glowing green eyes on the Guardian. The eyes of its fellow Knights were on him a second after, the four Hive soldiers roaring as one before charging towards the Hunter.

Gull’s eyes widened as the first Boomer blast blew apart the ground in front of him, turning on his heel and sprinting away. A barrage of decaying starfire followed him as he ran, several missing him by only a few inches.

“Argh, this was a bad idea!” Gull growled as he ran towards one of the large, rusting transport aircrafts that littered the Mothyards.

“Stop being stubborn and _take the sword_!” the Hunter’s Ghost scolded as the force from one of the rounds – landing dangerously close to Gull’s leg – caused him to stumble.

“I. Don’t. Need. The. Sword!” Gull shouted back as he jumped on top of the rusted aircraft, turning to throw a Swarm Grenade at the ground behind him on his landing. He watched as the Hive Knights walked right into the drone swarm that burst from the grenade, backing away and readying his Hand Cannon while they were distracted by the smart explosives.

The old aircraft shook when two of the Knights leapt at it, clambering up the rest of the way as Gull fired desperately at their arms and heads. Their added weight caused the plane to pitch to one side, nearly flinging Gull right into their clutches if the Hunter hadn’t used a hand to steady himself.

As the Knights began to open fire, Gull quickly turned and hopped across to the wing of a different plane, throwing one of his knives over his shoulder as he went. The knife met its mark at the same time the Gunslinger’s boots touched rusted metal, landing with a satisfying _thwack_ as Gull turned to watch the Knight grab at the blade lodged in its chest.

Its large, bony hand clasped around the dagger, ready to rip it free, just as the blade burst into flames. Spewing fire like a thermite bomb, the incendiary blade quickly burnt a hole through the Knight’s chest, melting its skin and vaporising its armour as the Knight flailed about in a panic.

Gull wasted no time in taking advantage of its state, putting an end to its suffering with three rounds from his Hand Cannon. _That’s one,_ he thought to himself, feeling the wing of the plane shudder as the second Knight jumped the gap to join him.

Raising his Hand Cannon, Gull held his breath as he prepared eased his finger on the trigger…then hesitated. His eyes were drawn to the sheets of metal of the plane’s wing, observing the way they crumpled and cracked under the Knight’s heavy feet. The Hunter made a sudden realisation when he saw the Knight’s end of the wing shift with each of its steps, and he instead turned his weapon on the exposed structural beams between them.

Five shots were fired: four by the Hunter and one by the Knight. The Boomer blast hit Gull square in the chest, but not before his shots caused the rusted wing to snap in half, sending the Knight plummeting to the ground as Gull was thrown backwards.

“Ow,” Gull groaned as he placed a hand where the Arc charge struck him – before immediately pulling his hand away when the scorched vest threatened to burn his hand. He waited a moment for the scorch on his armour to cool before rolling onto his side and getting back on his feet. The pain slowly diminished as his Light was allowed to mend his injuries. “Did I get him?” Gull wondered aloud as he hobbled over to the edge of the broken wing.

Looking over the edge, however, Gull couldn’t help but notice the absence of a Hive Knight.

“Crap.” no sooner had he breathed out the curse did another weight rock the derelict plane from behind him. Gull spun around to face the threat and had to immediately duck out of the way as an arm was swung at his head. He sidestepped the next two brutish swings of the Knight’s gun arm with practiced grace, finally putting enough distance between him and the Knight to take a shot at its legs.

Every bullet did little more than offset the Knight’s footing as it tried to plant its feet in a firing stance. With his last three shots, Gull aimed higher – intent on shooting out its eyes, but only met black stone when the Knight summoned a shield.

Out of ammo, Gull swapped his handgun out for his rifle and waited until the Knight dropped its shield to fire a burst of lightning directly in its face. Dazed and blinded, the Knight had no way of stopping Gull as he unloaded another blast at point-blank range into its chest.

As the Knight collapsed in a pile of ashes before him, Gull allowed the Fusion Rifle to fall to his side. “That’s th-”

Before he could finish, another Knight – the one he had lost track of – barrelled into him from behind. The brute tackled him to the top of the old aircraft, which groaned under the strain of their combined weight before falling away, the Hunter landing with the Knight on top of him.

There was the distinct sound of bones cracking when the Knight crushed him, but the pain was secondary to Gull’s urgency as he stretched his fingers for his Fusion Rifle. It was just within his reach when the Human felt a large, three-fingered hand grab the back of his head.

Carrying Gull by his helmet as it rose, the Knight lifted Gull off his feet and held him at arm’s length. The Gunslinger had his back to the beast, hands struggling against the claw that held him, when he felt the muzzle of its cannon against his back.

For a second, Gull went still.

Then, with a flash of steel, he drove his spare knife into the Knight’s its wrist and sank it to the hilt.

With a roar of pain, the Knight’s grip on Gull vanished, releasing the Hunter and allowing him to roll away as the Hive brute yanked the dagger out with its teeth. Immediately, the Knight began firing a volley of Arc blasts from its Boomer at the Hunter, sprinting between whatever cover he could find inside the derelict aircraft as he put two fingers to his communicator.

“Ghost!”

“Yes?”

“Ready the Pacifier – I’m going to try circling around it.” Gull ordered, waiting for a lull in the barrage before backpedalling behind a loose, hanging ceiling plate. The Gunslinger waited with bated breath as the Knight lumbered over to the spot it had been firing on until its back was turned to him. Then, all at once, Gull rounded his cover and held out his hands as a red and white machine gun materialised in them.

The Pacifier X thundered out a stream of bullets that shattered the Hive soldier’s armour, forcing it back with the sheer force each round carried until the Knight itself broke apart like a clay statue.

With the threat eliminated, Gull took a moment to check the ammo counter on his weapon. _Half full,_ Gull read in his mind with a sigh. “Three down. All that’s left is-”

“Gull! Overhead!” His Ghost warned as a shadow loomed above him. Looking up, Gull barely had time to register the shape of the Knight before a blade of green soulfire came down on him.

Fortunately, Gull had enough sense – and time – to jump out of the way as the Chosen Knight slammed its blade to the ground, emitting a shockwave of Hive magic that knocked the wind out of Gull and threw him against the wall.

The Gunslinger grunted in pain as the force of the impact travelled down his right shoulder, bruising the flesh under his armour. Both hands tightened on his machine gun as he bit past the pain and fired on the Knight.

The Knight was prepared for this, however, raising its sword in a guard and blocking each bullet with an invisible barrier. The barrier rippled with dark magic each time a round made contact as the Hive Champion slowly advanced. Only a few stray shots managed to actually hit the Knight, clipping the edges of its dense armour to little effect.

Getting up into a kneel, Gull focused the stream of bullets on a single spot in the hopes of penetrating the barrier with enough firepower. It almost seemed like he was making progress as the barrier wore down when the Pacifier X clicked dry.

_C’mon, not now!_ Gull continued to pull back on the trigger as he slapped the ammo drum with his off hand in hopes of fixing the non-existent jam or dislodging a few extra non-existent bullets. A second of this passed before Gull relented on that hope, glancing up at the Knight hesitantly as it roared and charged the Hunter with murderous intent.

He lunged out of the way of a horizontal slash before tumbling back down with the momentum. As Gull rolled onto his front, his helmet caught a glare of sunlight that shone through a low crawl space in the aircraft’s hull. Glancing over to the Knight once, Gull quickly scrambled for the opening on his hands and feet – barely making it as the brute brought its sword down to and nearly cleaved off Gull’s lower half.

Gull sprang to his feet once he was out in the open again, turning at the sound of the Knight’s angry bellow and loading his Hand Cannon. “That’s not going to stop him for long.”

“Just go get the sword! It'll be easier if-”

“Let me try something else!” Gull argued as his hands fumbled to reload the weapon. “I’ve got one more trick up my sleeve that just might-”

Before he could finish, the sound of rusted metal tearing apart set the two on alert as the Knight burst its way out of the old aircraft. It’s howl was one of sworn hatred for the Light, body burning with green flames as it resumed its pursuit of the Hunter.

Immediately, Gull took off at a sprint towards the site of the summoning circle. In an effort to slow the Knight down, the Gunslinger squeezed himself through a crack in the adjacent aircraft just wide enough to fit through.

Sure enough, the Chosen Knight charged straight through the old aircraft with reckless abandon. When the Knight looked about, however, it found the field before it devoid of life. That was when a sharp whistle and crack of Light alerted him to the Hunter atop the aircraft, wielding a pistol wreathed in Solar Light.

Gull snapped off all three shots into the Knight’s forehead without hesitation. The three successive shots quickly swelled with Light before exploding atop the Knight. Exhaustion in the Hunter’s system began to mount as the excessive use of Light forced him down to one knee to catch his breath. Glancing back up at the Knight, however, Gull was shocked to see the Exalted Hive shrug off the attack, the Light merely melting its armour slightly.

“Ghost?” Gull asked hesitantly as the Knight marched on, unperturbed. “I think I need the sword.”

“Well it’s about time,” instead of jumping up to meet him, Gull watched it curiously as it re-entered the hole it had made it the aircraft. “I’ll mark its position on your way-” the Ghost was cut off as the metal beneath him was sheared apart by the Knight’s upward slash, sending Gull soaring through the air before hitting the ground – inches from the waypoint marker in his vision.

When Gull turned to face the marker, however, all he saw was an empty indentation in the dirt.

“Uh, Ghost? Where’s the sword?” Gull groaned as he got up on his hands and knees, holding a hand to his injured side.

“It _should_ still be there,” The Ghost noted curiously. “There’s no way it could’ve phased out this quickly.”

“Well, run a scan for it before-” Gull had managed push himself up into a kneeling position when a large, coarse foot shoved him back down. “Too late.” he wheezed out as the Knight dragged him by his cloak to the centre of the ritual circle, still blazing on the ground.

His limbs were too sore and fatigued to do anything else but plant themselves against the ground in an attempt to slow the Knight down. The Knight stopped to drive its foot into Gull’s side when it finally noticed, leaving the Guardian to curl in on its injury as it stood at the feet of the Hunter and raised its blade.

“We’re going to die.” Gull breathed out dejectedly.

“Yep, and you are one-hundred percent to blame.” The Ghost remarked, its tone taking on a bitter nonchalance.

“That’s reasonable.” Gull said as he turned to face his executioner defiantly.

The Knight took no notice as it raised its blade high above its head-

Only for an Ascendant Sword to impale it through the chest.

“What the-?” The Ghost exclaimed as both Guardian and Knight stared at the protruding blade in shock, Ascendant Hive magic parting the Knight’s dark barrier like a fog. In one swift motion, the sword was yanked out of the Knight before sailing through the air and lobbing off its head.

Gull’s eyes followed the severed stone-like head of the Knight as it tumbled to the ground next to him before darting back up to the rest of its body. One moment it was as stiff as a statue, the next it crumpled forward like a very, very heavy puppet with clipped strings – more than likely cut by the figure standing behind it.

Holding her pose for a second longer than necessary, Mira let out a sigh as she planted the tip of the Ascendant Sword into the ground. “I really don’t get what you have against these things, Gull,” she stated as she leaned her shoulder against the guard of the hilt. “Dark as they may be, they kill Hive Champions all the same.”

After a quick scan of their surroundings for threats, Gull used all the strength he could muster to roll the Knight’s corpse off him. His Ghost appeared before him a second later and shone a healing beam across his injuries.

“You wouldn’t feel the same way if you saw what those things did on the moon, back in the day.” The Hunter grunted as he got up in a sitting position once his ribs realigned themselves.

“I know what they’re capable of,” Mira shot back, running a hand along the length of the blade as she watched her Light spark against the Dark already fading from the blade. “Seems the solution to that is to just…not get hit.”

“Yeah, we thought that at first, too,” He replied, finally standing up to match her height. “Easier said than done, though,” He gave the Warlock a long, hard look before holding out his hand to conjure a knife out of Light. Then, crouching down over the Knight’s body, he pried the knife under the armour on the brute’s chest. “Enough with the small talk already – what do you want, Vuul?”

“Uh, pardon me?” Mira scoffed, placing her hands on her hips. “I just saved your life. Have you absolutely no sense of gratitude?”

“I had it under control.”

“ _No, you didn’t._ ” his Ghost remarked over their bond.

“Yes, it certainly looked that way when I separated that Knight’s head from its body-” Mira noted with feigned innocence. “Right as it was about to bisect you, might I add.”

“All part of the plan!” Gull called over his shoulder as he managed to peel part of the armour off, separating from the Knight’s hide with a sinewy strain. “What? You want a reward, or something?”

“No,” Mira replied nonchalantly. “Just an hour of your time.”

“An hour? Now?” Gull asked as he jammed his fingers under the armour and began pulling it off by hand.

“No. Six in the evening, actually. City Standard Time.”

“What for?”

“Do you really want me to lay it all bare for you here? In the wastelands of Old Russia?” Mira asked with an exaggerated swing of her hands at her surroundings.

“ _What for_ , Mira?” Gull repeated impatiently as he grew frustrated with the task of prying the runic armour off the Knight without breaking it.

Once he had it up halfway, Gull slid his knife back under the shell-like armour, breaking off any unnecessary edges as he yanked the centre of the chest piece free. It was only when he stopped the examine the glowing rune on the armour did he notice Mira fall silent. Turning around to repeat his question, the Hunter paused when he noticed the Sunsinger avert her eyes every time Gull tried to catch her gaze.

“It’s…” she sighed, glancing up at Gull with a serious expression when he rose to full height again. “Difficult to explain. I’ll tell you everything, but right now I don’t even have time to-”

“Mira, time’s up,” Lumiere piqued up as the Warlock glanced down at her wrist link. “We need to go – like right now.”

Huffing in frustration, Mira stalked over towards Gull and drew something out of her robes. “Here. Meet me at this address at eighteen hundred, sharp.” She commanded, shoving the folded piece of paper into Gull’s free hand.

“Hey- hang on a minute!”

“I know I don’t sound like it Gull, but I really am glad to see you.” Those were Mira’s last words before her figure shimmered with light and she was transmatted away.

“Mira! Get back here!” the Gunslinger yelled at the air, sighing to himself when he realised the Warlock was already long-gone. Holding up the armour fragment for his Ghost to transmat, Gull unfolded the piece of weathered paper and silently read the address scrawled on it. “Yeah, good to see you too, Mira.” Gull thought aloud sarcastically.

“Well? Whaddaya think?” The Ghost asked as it hovered by his shoulder, reading and storing the address to memory.

“I think…” Gull began as he stuffed the letter into his pocket and took a visual sweep of their surroundings. “That we’ve got about four and a half hours until eighteen hundred.”

“And?”

“ _And_ we might as well check out a few more of those ritual sites those scouts reported in while we’ve got the time.” The Gunslinger walked under the shade of a nearby broken aircraft wing as he checked each of his guns over.

“What about Mira’s request? Y’know, since we’ve _got the time_?”

“…I’ll think it over as we go.”

* * *

“I didn’t peg you as a fan of Oriental.” Gull noted, his eyes following Mira as she approached the table.

“I like to mix it up regularly,” Mira explained as she took her seat across from him. “My pallet’s a little like this restaurant – a fusion of various flavours and preparation methods from all over East Asia. This month, it’s Taiwanese. Next month is New Portuguese – it…keeps eating interesting.”

“I distinctly remember you telling me that you stopped caring about what food tastes like years ago,” Gull stated, leaning forward slightly. “Was a that a lie, too?”

Mira gave a coy chuckle – the same coy chuckle that infuriated Gull whenever he tried to hold a decent conversation with the Warlock – before leaning forward to reply in a hushed tone. “You misunderstand me, Gull. I don’t care about the taste of food any longer because it’s all the same, to me. We can go a lot longer without food than normal people and, in times of scarcity, even make use of stuff that’s…harder to digest. It all just becomes…fuel, after a while.”

“Then why the changes in diet?”

“It keeps the ingestion ritual interesting,” she replied with a cheeky smile, leaning back to wave over the waiter. “And I do still _enjoy_ taste.”

The two Guardians exchanged greetings with the young boy, who quickly took their orders before leaving to pass them on to the kitchen. Alone once more, Gull allowed himself to slump in his seat as he regarded the Awoken Sunsinger before her.

“You look terrible.” She surmised after a second of silence.

Looking down at himself, Gull couldn’t help but agree with her. He hadn’t bother to change out of his armour before coming here. He reasoned that it was because he knew the children that played around the apartment block nearby enjoyed the sight of a Guardian in armour. The real reason, however, was that he wanted to let the Warlock know that this was _anything_ but a casual meet-up.

“Look who’s talking.” Gull shot back.

Mira looked as she did when they last met; smug, overbearingly confident and obviously pleased that Gull was in a state of pain and fatigue. However, the Warlock now seemed more…tired. The amber glow of her eyes had dimmed and the skin around her eyes seemed darker – as if she had not slept in days.

The rest of her form was as immaculate as ever; her hair neatly combed and styled to one side and her robes looked to have just been washed and pressed.

“What’ve you been up to?” Mira asked, in place of responding to Gull’s remark. “Y’know, since the Fireteam split?”

Narrowing his eyes at Mira as the waiter returned with their cups of tea, Gull took a tentative sip of the hot drink before responding. “Pretty much what you caught me doing earlier – hunting down Crota’s Blades. Ritual sites keep popping up all over the Cosmodrome, and I’ve got a deal going with Eris to bring her back ‘field samples’ wherever I can find ‘em.”

“Yeah?” Mira asked as she leaned back and sipped from her own cup. “How’s that going?”

“Oh, cut the how-do-you-do crap, Mira.” Gull groaned, reaching up with one hand to rub some attention back into his eyes. “Whaddaya really want?”

For a moment, the Warlock just stared at the Hunter with a blank look – which he wanted to believe was because she was surprised by the Hunter’s insistence on cutting to the chase – before casting her eyes down at her cup. For a moment, Gull thought he saw something that looked like distress in the Awoken’s eyes before she glanced back up at him and the expression vanished – replaced instead with an airy chuckle. “Is it really so hard to believe I just want to catch up?”

“The last time we spoke, you called me a mutated primate with a flaming gun and swore on the Traveller that you’d rather shoot yourself than be on a Fireteam with me, so forgive me for doubting your intention,” Gull deadpanned as he leaned back in his chair, watching as the frustration and worry on Mira’s face became more apparent. “Also, it feels like you’re leading me on.”

With her palms pressed together and her lips pursed, the Warlock took a deep breath to steel herself before speaking. “Ok, I may have said a few things that, in hindsight, I regret giving voice to, but we’re both mature, like-minded Guardians,” she reasoned with a forced, diplomatic smile. “I’m sure we can both put that behind us, in the interest of a renewed working relationship?”

“Uh huh,” Gull grunted, nodding his head in mock-agreement. “Just tell me what you want before I get bored and decide I’d rather be anywhere else.”

“Urgh, fine,” Mira groaned, finally dropping any pretence of putting their past conflict to rest. Their waiter arrived a second later with their orders, Gull scarfing down his steamed meat dumplings as soon as the young man placed the tray in front of him. “Three days ago, I encountered an anomaly on Venus – one that could pose a significant threat to The City and Guardians across the system. The Vanguard have dismissed my theory and denied me the resources I need to look into this, so I…are you listening to me?” Mira asked with a look of disdain on her face.

The Gunslinger paused; his mouth half-full of food as he glared back at Mira. “I’m hungry – I haven’t eaten since breakfast,” Gull stated, the words muffled by the food as he swallowed before continuing. “Just go on. I’ll stop you if you lose me.”

With a leer aimed at the brunette, Mira launched into a short retelling of the encounter with her ‘anomaly’. It drew Gull’s interest about as much as any other tall tale shared by Hunters around a fire – easy to get drawn in, but always taken in scepticism.

Her retelling ended with where she believed the anomaly was located: The Aphrodite Highlands of Venus. This paused Gull’s chewing as he looked up at the Warlock and spoke for the first time in minutes. “You’re kidding.”

Gull’s words caused Mira to pause in her monologue, taking a moment to gauge the Hunter’s reaction before deadpanning. “Do I look like the kind of person to waste two minutes and forty-six seconds just to build up to a joke?”

“Mira, you’re talking about going to the most _uncharted_ region of Venus during its most _dangerous_ time of year.”

“Why do you think we’re here?” Mira asked as she threw her hands up around her. Picking up the boiled egg floating in her noodle bowl, the Warlock stuck it in the side of her mouth as she continued speaking. “I’m asking for your help.”

“ _Me_? Mira, you-” Gull stopped himself to sigh and pinch the bridge of his nose. “Look, Fireteam Roman split for a good reason. We all agreed on that after Old Chicago. If we can’t work together long enough for our _Ghosts_ to diffuse a giant Fallen IED, do you really think we can rely on each other to survive in the wilds?”

“I’m willing to take the chance. Besides, it’s not likely to come down to another time-sensitive field operation. I just need you for your Hunter training and survival skills.”

“There’s a lot of _other_ reasons why taking me on is a bad idea – a major one being _I don’t like you_.”

“Then let’s keep it professional;” Mira hissed through her teeth as she leaned across the table. “Fifty -day expedition. That’s all I’m asking of you – and I can pay you by the day.”

“Wait, fifty days? Exactly how close are you to finding this ‘anomaly’?”

Mira averted her eyes from his, casting them down to her hands – which had begun to wring themselves together atop the table. “All I know is that it’s somewhere in the Highlands.” She glumly admitted.

His back was rigid against the seat of his chair as Gull let out a sardonic huff. “So, you don’t know where this thing is, what it looks like, or what it even does…yeah, I’m out.” A hand travelled down his left pocket as he kicked his chair back, pulling out a credit chit and standing to leave. “Thanks for the bite, Mira.” Even as he placed the chit on the table, he refused to meet Mira’s gaze – worried what he might see there.

Gull heard another set of chair legs scrape the stone floor as he walked away, but never stopped even as Mira’s voice followed him. “You’re out? That’s it- no discussion, no reasoning? You’re just going to walk away from this like everything else?”

The eyes of other restaurant patrons were turned on them as their argument grew heated. Gull’s left eye twitched with irritation at the Warlock, but he kept his eyes forward and maintained his pace. “You’re insane, Mira. If we go, we’ll die – end of discussion.”

“Is that so? Well, perhaps I gave you too much credit as a Hunter,” Gull refused to give Mira the satisfaction of a response as he focused on putting as much distance between them and the restaurant as possible. “…Or are you just scared?”

Gull stopped mid-step at Mira’s words, his eyes wide.

_“Damnit, Mira! You can’t just leave us back there while we’re down!”_

_“What’s the big deal? Your Ghosts can bring you back as many times as need be.”_

_“Yeah? Well what if they can’t? What if they get picked off while we’re down? What if there’s not enough Light to bring us back because_ you _put your goals before your team?”_

_“…I never took you for being scared of_ death _, Gunslinger.”_

This time, Gull didn’t even think to stop himself as he slowly turned to face the irritated Awoken. With his hands balled tightly into fists and his Ghosts offering words of warning in his head, he stalked right up to the Warlock. “What do you know about fear?” He hissed in her face. Mira’s conviction visibly wavered at the Hunter’s fury, but he refused to relent. “You think being Fireborn makes you powerful – that you can just pick yourself up from anything? You think death is the only thing to be scared of out there? You don’t know what it’s like to be afraid,” With Mira visibly stunned by his outburst, Gull turned away and exhaled his frustrations. “Goodbye, Mira.”

Just as he thought he was done with the Warlock, a light flashed in front of him as he made to walk away. “Hold on a sec, Gull,” Mira’s Ghost, Lumiere, exclaimed in agitation. “Now, I don’t like this idea any more than you, but you know Mira. You know she wouldn’t do something like this without good reason,” Impatiently, Gull tried to step around the Ghost, but the Spark blocked his path. “I think she’s right to be worried, but this isn’t a one-Ghost one-Guardian job.”

“Then go find someone else to help you with your crazy errand!” Gull growled at the Ghost, shoving him out of the way as he marched off.

“There is _no one else_!”

This time, the emotion that made Gull stop wasn’t rage, but shock. He spun around to face the Warlock, face flush with the raw emotion that bled into her shout. Furrowing his brow in confusion – and the slightest hint of concern, Gull took a single step towards her. “What do you mean?”

Mira opened and closed her mouth a few times, trying to speak, but no sound came out as her features scrunched up in anguish. She glanced over the Hunter’s shoulder, directing his attention to her Ghost. “Gull, there’s…something you should know.”

The seconds ticked by as Lumiere recalled the details of Mira’s meeting – and then later hearing – with the Vanguard. Quickly realising the nature of their conversation, Gull led the Warlock and her Ghost to the end of a quiet alley where they could continue speaking in private.

“I’ve been suspended from active duty,” Mira spoke up, her voice thick and watery. “The Vanguard thinks I’m…obsessed with this, but…it can’t just mean _nothing_ ,” There was a moment where Mira scrunched her eyes shut where Gull thought she was done speaking. His mouth opened to voice his thoughts when Mira interrupted him. “The War Cult has…also agreed to adhere to the Vanguard’s suspension order. They’ve cut off my access to field assets and have revoked my authority in the cult.”

“Wow,” Gull breathed out as he shook his head, incredulous. “Told you one of these days you’d go too far.”

For a moment, Mira simply leaned against the nearby wall and tilted her head back to look upon the Traveller. “No one else will help me, Gull. And I can’t do this alone.”

“Yeah?” Gull raised an eyebrow. “And why should _I_ help you?”

Amber eyes darted down to meet Gull’s oak-coloured ones as she pulled her lips in a thin grimace. “I came to you, didn’t I? You’re the last person I’d expect help to come from, but you’re also the last person I’d trust with this.”

Gull looked away as he mulled things over. Mira’s words had caused something to stir in the back of the Human’s throat. A familiar pain that Gull took a moment to place.

When he did, his eyes widened with a dreaded realisation. “You’re not just talking about putting together an unsanctioned expedition – you wanna go rogue.”

“I…knew it might be a possibility, that we-” Mira swallowed nervously, never breaking eye-contact as she spoke with a slight shudder in her voice. “If that’s what it comes to, yes.”

“Mira, do you understand what you’re asking here?” Gull pressed, leaning closer so he could speak in a hushed voice. “Even if you’re right, there’s no guarantee we’ll be allowed back into the City - _ever_.”

“If that’s the price I have to pay, then so be it,” her eyes softened for a moment as she stared at him, her voice dropping to a whisper. “But you don’t have to make that choice.”

Gull was briefly dumbfounded by the declaration, seeing a side to Mira he had never known existed for the first time. Her intention seemed genuine enough, but this was the first time he had ever seen her act with such…rash selflessness.

“…Why?” The urgency in Gull’s tone even caught him by surprise. “Tell me why this is so important to you that you’re willing to just…throw away everything for it?”

Her expression hardened with resolve as Mira sucked in a breath through her nose. “Because this is the sort of thing I was brought back for. You might think I’m just another overly-inquisitive Warlock, but I am a Guardian first and foremost,” she folded her arms as she spoke, casting her gaze to the wall. “If this thing has the potential to threaten the City and what few of us remain, then it’s a Guardian’s duty to do what we can to stop it…even if I’m the only one willing to follow through with this.”

For a split-second, the person standing before Gull wasn’t Mira, but a young woman with glossy black hair and sharp green eyes. She stood a head shorter than the Hunter and had a wide, jaunty smile across her face.

Gull blinked and the girl was gone, replaced by the visage of a tired, desperate Warlock who stared at him with all the hope in the world. Running a hand down his face to hide a grimace, Gull’s eyes remained shut as he spoke. “How were you planning to get off-planet?”

“Uhm…” Mira droned out as her eyes darted around in thought.

Despite the nature of things, Gull couldn’t help but smirk as he sighed. “Don’t worry. I can help with that, but if we’re going rogue, we need to be ready to go without contact with the City for _months_ at a time.”

Mira cocked her head to one side as a genuine smile crossed her features. “Does that mean you’re in?”

“I’ve got a few conditions. If you’re willing to meet them-”

“Done,” Mira replied instantly as she held out her hand as her Ghost materialised a datapad in it. “Here. My…uh, packing list,” the Hunter gingerly took the datapad from Mira and quickly skimmed through its contents. “I’m having some difficulty contacting some known suppliers, so I’m open to suggestions from you.”

“Suggestions on potential suppliers or suggestions on changes?” Gull asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Uh…yes?”

Pretending not to notice Mira’s wary look as his smirk grew wider, Gull hummed to himself as he skimmed through the list of items all the way to the end. “Well, we’re going to have to get rid of a few items in order to double up on essential supplies.”

“Alright…how much is this going to change my inventory?”

“I’m cutting out, about, half your list.”

“ _Half_?!” Mira exclaimed in shock. “Gull, I need _everything_ on that list! I won’t even ask you to lug around my equipment – just the essentials!”

“Mira, at a glance, I can already tell that about two-thirds of this stuff aren’t essential – a number of these things can even be fabricated on-site with what’s available on Venus.”

“Uh…fabricated on-site?”

“Yeah, y’know,” Gull waved his hands at his side, twiddling his fingers. “Building stuff up from materials in the environment.”

“What? You mean like, building camps from trees or salvaging machines?”

“Oh, boy, I’ve got a lot of work cut out for me,” Gull sighed to himself, silently enjoying the frown Mira sent his way. “Also…you should probably know I don’t actually know anything about the Aphrodite Highlands, or the Cytherean night cycle,” Quickly holding up a hand against Mira’s open-mouthed gawk, the Hunter added, “ _But_ I know someone with extensive knowledge of Venus’ environment, someone who’s even had to operate during one of Ishtar’s long nights. She can probably tell us all we need to know.”

The Sunsinger leaned away with a wary look. “Can she be trusted?”

“I’ll tell you about it over dessert.” Gull replied with a slap to the Warlock’s shoulder as he made his way back to the restaurant.

“Dessert?”

“Think of it as my first condition for helping you.”

“Oh?” Mira’s footsteps followed a second behind him. “And how many more conditions might you have.”

“…Just one or two.”

“ _Gull, I know what you have in mind,_ ” his Ghost told him silently as they re-entered the restaurant. “ _And she’s not going to like it._ ”

Subtly, the edges of the Gunslinger’s mouth quirked up in a small smile. _We’ll need him for the long haul._


	7. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Deciding to help the wayward Warlock, Gull meets with a few people that will help him prepare for the journey ahead - all the while confronting elements from his past and his present.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The word count really gets ahead of me sometimes. I'd hope to keep this chapter short, but y'know feels? That thing where words on a text doc can make your insides tingly? Yeah, turns out I need quite a few of those to make it work well.
> 
> Anyway, this is one of the few Gull-centric chapters of this story. Again, main focus will be on Mira and her journey through self-discovery this time around, but I WILL be giving spotlight to the important people on the journey with her.
> 
> That being said, there's gonna be a lot of implied backstory and headcanon in this chapter involving the Gunslinger, which I will expand upon in a future story.
> 
> Anyway, here we go - enjoy.

**Tower Plaza, The Last Safe City, Earth…**

Night had already fallen over the City by the time Gull returned to the Tower.

For the past few hours, the Hunter had been wandering the City with Mira, the two discussing details of her ‘expedition’. Though, ‘discussing’ was a loose term, as the last four-ish hours mainly consisted of the two Guardians arguing with one another – Gull taking every opportunity to express his disinterest in the Warlock’s theories on her ‘anomaly’ while Mira made sure her grievances were known every time the Hunter made a change to her inventory. Before they knew it, the stars were out once again and they had no choice but to put their half-baked plan into action.

To her own credit, Mira’s original inventory already had a number of items essential to surviving the Aphrodite Region, such as ziplining gear to quickly traverse the mountainous terrain and vapour collectors for them to make their own drinkable water instead of wasting precious cargo space on water tanks.

This was, however, all standard stuff, even for rookie Hunters. Mira’s survival gear accounted for all the basic necessities but lacked the numbers to last them the three months of contactless survival. Worst yet, Mira had dedicated a large amount of her carry capacity to research equipment – which Gull couldn’t even begin to understand the use of – instead of environment control gear.

“I need this gear to analyse and pinpoint the source of the signal,” she had told him a couple hours ago. “We won’t get very far without it.”

“We won’t get very far if we can’t make a habitable campsite either.” He rebutted as he added the necessary items – and removed the _unnecessary_ ones – to her list.

“What’s the big deal? I’ve survived for weeks on my own in the Ishtar Sink and I’ve never needed this crap before.” Mira had asked, glaring daggers at Gull as he deleted a whole section of research equipment from her list.

“The ‘big deal’ is that The Highlands isn’t anything like Ishtar, so if we want to survive the first week, we’ll need to make the environment our own.”

Ever since Guardians first ventured to Venus, the Aphrodite Highlands have been a constant mystery to City scouts – and a constant challenge to daring Hunters. Gull had heard dozens of rumours and stories about the Highlands over the years, with many contradicting one another or just outright making no sense.

What little facts he _had_ manage to more-or-less verify painted quite an interesting picture about the second Cytherean continent.

“You really think the trees there can walk about, like Andal said?” his Ghost had asked him as they were heading to meet a New Monarchy requisitions officer that specialised in field equipment.

“We’ll know for sure when we get there,” Gull replied, getting a little excited for once about visiting the jungle planet. “For now, let’s just…pack for everything.”

When they finally agreed on what needed to be brought on their journey, Gull sent Mira on an errand with two list. One was of their inventory checklist – narrowed down to the things they couldn’t acquire, buy or borrow from the Vanguard’s stockpile. The other contained names of City smugglers that might have what they were looking for.

While she did that, Gull returned to the Tower to find out what he could on the Highlands.

Several Hunters had tried mapping out the strange continent over the decades, and the few that were successful usually died of…confrontational causes before they could pass on their knowledge to someone more responsible – taking their wisdom with them to the graves.

Early City-Age Hunters were notorious for not putting their findings to paper, after all, trusting in their memories instead. _Probably because they didn’t want anyone knowing where they buried any loot they found._ Gull mused.

There was, however, one Hunter who Gull knew spent months in the Highlands and still remained of – mostly – sound mind and body. It was for this purpose that the Gunslinger returned to the Tower – and was now anxiously flexing his hands at his sides.

“Gull, your heart rate’s picking up. Is something wrong?” His Ghost asked him as he crossed the plaza to its northern overlook.

“No.” His reply was clip as he smoothed his hands down the sides of his leggings.

“…Are you…nervous?”

His head darted to the spot where his Ghost would usually be, an annoyed look crossing his face briefly as his eyes darted to one side. “I’m not…it’s not what you think.”

“I know you think I’m thinking of what you think I’m thinking, and it’s obviously not that,” the Ghost scoffed, his voice now coming from the direction Gull was looking. “If talking to her made you nervous, I’d have noticed the last dozen or so times you two spoke. So, what’s changed?”

Taking a moment to steady his breathing and relax his hands, Gull finally gave voice to the thought that has tormented him for the past three months. “I’m gonna talk to her about where we stand.”

“Where what stands?”

“Where our… _relationship_ stands.” Gull stressed the word as if saying it deeply unsettled him.

“Oh.”

“Yeah. _Oh_.”

“Are…” The Ghost droned on as their intended target came within sight. “Are you sure about this?”

“Well I _was_ ,” Gull’s pace slowed as he approached the overlook, one foot already on the steps as he stopped to regard his Ghost. “But then you _had_ to ask, and now I’m _not_ so sure about this.”

“Um…sorry?”

Gull sighed as he resumed his approach. “It’s fine. I just…wanna get this over with so it doesn’t bug me while we’re on Venus,” he stopped shy of the figure to turn around and whisper. “Just let me talk this one out on my own.”

“No problem.” The Ghost whispered before falling silent as Gull turned to face the woman.

She had her back turned to him as if staring out upon the City and the hibernating machine that hung over it. Gull wasn’t exactly sure how her sight worked these days, but he knew her enough to know that neither actually held her attention.

Giving no indication that she was aware of his presence, the Hunter briefly considered ways to subtly make himself known when the woman’s posture straightened as her head turned far enough that Gull could see the black tears running down her face.

“If you have business, Gunslinger, then speak it,” she stated in greeting, turning fully to face him. “We are acquainted well enough that you need not waste time with such pleasantries.”

“Good evening to you too, Eris,” Gull greeted in return, his voice adopting a softer tone as he regarded the woman before him – so similar to the one he knew all those years ago, but different in so many, many ways. To keep his mind from dwelling on it too long, Gull reached into the messenger bag hanging off his hip and produced a few broken pieces of Hive armour. “Just thought I’d drop off today’s haul.”

Eris Morn took the chitinous chunks from the Gunslinger, staring at them silently for a few moments before glancing up at him. “These are in…adequate condition. My thanks to you, Gunslinger.” She said as the former Guardian turned to arrange them on her nearby table.

“Well, they definitely weren’t easy to get, so…glad you think they’re alright.”

 _‘Glad you think they’re alright?’_ Gull thought ruefully to himself. _That’s the best you could come up with?_

“They will suffice for their purpose,” Eris stated as she grabbed a small leather pouch. “I trust this will do as exchange?”

“Chunks of Hive armour for strange coins?” Gull scoffed lightly as he took the pouch from her. “If you ask me, you’re giving me an incredible deal.”

“I have little use for such currency on my quest. What you have brought me is far more valuable,” Eris stated, her three eyes darting down briefly as she turned sharply towards her worktable. “I _also_ do not simply bargain with any Lightbearer that asks. I trust you will respect the confidentiality of our agreement.”

“C’mon, Eris, you know I’m not one to gossip.” Gull responded with a chuckle, feeling his heart sink a little when all the former Guardian replied with was a grunt. He had more to say, but found that the words wouldn’t leave his mouth as the silence stretched on between them.

“I sense hesitance from you, Gunslinger. Was there something else you wanted?” Eris asked after a moment.

 _Whatever had happened to her on the moon must’ve given her a sixth sense for awkward moments_ , Gull mused as he cleared his throat.

“Um, well. Yes. See I-” Gull didn’t let the silence linger too long this time as he pushed on past the false start. “I need your help with something. See, I’m heading to the Aphrodite Region of Venus with a friend, and was hoping you wouldn’t mind tagging along.”

For a long moment, Eris just stared at Gull – perplexed – before cocking her head to one side. “The Hive have no presence on the Cytherean world. Why would you-”

“This isn’t about the Hive, Eris,” Gull corrected quickly. “This is…something more personal.”

“I…see,” the Hivesbane took a moment to regard the Guardian, then turned away. “In that case, I will have to refuse your offer.”

“C’mon, Eris,” Gull pressed. “You’re one of the only people here who knows what that place is like.”

“I have no time to waste traipsing around the dark side of that planet, Gunslinger,” Eris snapped, hissing at the Hunter from around her side. “There is still much that needs to be done to reverse the Hive’s advancement.”

“It’s not like I’m asking you because you’re my preferred travel buddy,” Gull shot back with a bit of bite to his tone. “No expeditions have been sent to the Highlands since Mare Imbrium. New information about that place is spotty at best, and I need someone with _real_ experience to guide us.”

“That was a lifetime ago. I am not the same person now as I was then!” Her eyes seemed to glow brighter as she spoke with an even – yet strained – voice. Her whole form seemed to tense as her lips pulled back in a bitter sneer and her hands clenched tightly to her orb.

“I know this is asking a lot, but I put myself on the line for you when you needed it most. Now I’m asking you to do the same,” Gull stamped down on his rising anxiety as he spoke, hoping that _something_ he said would eventually get through to the Hivesbane. “I’ll do anything you want in return, but I need the old Eris Morn with me on this; the one that hunted dragons under the cloak of darkness and black foliage.”

The seething rage melted away after a moment to reveal an expression of deep regret. “That part of me died with the rest of my Fireteam on the moon. The Guardian you desire to aid you on your errant quest no longer exists – my…changes would prove to be more burden than boon when braving the Aphrodite wilderness,” Not to mention, it has been a long time since I walked those hills. My sense of the landscape is not what it was – owing to my new familiarity with the Lunar caverns,” Eris explained sadly. “Down in the Dark, I could guide you to the Light, but in the Highlands, I feel I would be just as lost as you.”

“Right…” Gull breathed out, his heart sinking as his hopes were dashed away. “Well, it was worth a shot.” He shrugged as he turned to leave.

“Gunslinger.”

Eris’ voice caused the Hunter to stumble, tripping over his feet as he abruptly stopped to spin back around. Gull watched as Eris withdrew a silver ring of keys from the one of the drawers in the table.

“Before our mission to the moon, I stored a number of my personal effects within secure storage vaults throughout the City – including journals from my time on Venus. Should those vaults still _exist_ , this key will open the path for you,” She placed the key into Gull’s open palm and closed his fingers around it with an unusual tenderness. “Maybe something I left in there can help you where I am unable to.”

“You’re…just giving it to me?” Gull asked, taken aback by the offer.

“That part of my past has long since outlived its usefulness,” her tone was hard, but something in the former Guardian’s expression softened. “I no longer need it. You may do with them as you please.”

As Eris turned away, a rush of panic suddenly flooded the Gunslinger’s mind, fearing that the opportunity to speak his mind was slipping away. Acting on pure instinct, Gull reached out with his empty hand to grab Eris by the wrist, stopping the former Guardian in her tracks as his mouth opened to say something – anything. Nothing came out as a moment of realisation hit him and he quickly released the Hivesbane.

“Sorry! I-” Gull swallowed to try and clear the lump in his throat. “I don’t know what came over me.”

Three green eyes narrowed into a leer as Eris cocked her head to one side. “There’s more, isn’t there?” she said it as more of a factual statement than a question. “Speak it then, while I have the time.”

Gull’s lips felt numb as he tried to form the words – any words, but he was still in shock of his brash action. _This was a mistake. We should give it more time before…_

A presence in the back of his mind emanated a calming aura, providing silent reassurance as the Guardian built up his courage.

 _You’re right._ He thought to his Ghost. _It’s gonna be messy, but she’s already seen me at my worse – and we’re pretty much in limbo if I don’t make a move, so what’s the worse that could happen?_

“I just-” he stuttered, then stopped. Taking a deep breath, he tried again – slower this time. “I don’t understand what’s going on between us.”

Eris’ brows furrowed together in confusion. “You asked me for my help and I am giving it. What is there not to understand?”

“Not this?” Gull gestured to the keys in his hands. “I mean everything else! For the past few decades, I thought you were _dead_ for crying out loud! But now that you’re back you act like you don’t even know me. You talk like we know each other, but then brush me off when I try to talk about anything other than the Hive,” Gull had to pause as he felt tears threaten to build up under his eyes, taking the moment to even out his voice. “I don’t understand. Do you actually remember me? Did none of our time matter? Have you moved on? Because I can’t tell and you’re not giving me any clear signals, so _please_ just…talk to me.”

For a while, Eris just stared silently at the Hunter, her lips parted in what seemed to be astonishment before she cast her eyes to the ground. Fear quickly set in as Gull worried that he had been too forward with his accusations, but that train of thought ended when Eris spoke.

“I apologise if you believed I was leading you on – that was not my intention,” all three eyes rose to meet his gaze. “You are right. My behaviour around you has been…emotionally distant despite our close relations. It seems foolish of me now to think that you would understand my intent without an explicit definition.”

“What intent?” Gull asked desperately.

“To put an end to the intimacy between us in favour of a more…efficient relationship.” Eris’ blunt statement was like a gut punch to Gull, leaving him winded when he next spoke.

“You…don’t even want to try again?”

“Do not take offense, Gunslinger. My condition would not make me a favourable romantic partner. I am sparing us both the wasted breath by not trying.”

“Your condition? Eris, I don’t care about all this,” Gull said, waving a hand at the former Guardian. “The only thing that matters to me is that you’re still you.”

“I am not simply referring to my physical changes,” Eris shot back. “In surviving Crota, I gained a new purpose – a new role to play in the downfall of the Hive. Such compromises as emotional attachments and relationships must not be allowed.”

The words left Gull feeling hollow, but with an odd sense of peace slowly filling that void. “So…that’s it then? We’re just…moving on?”

Gull watched as Eris’ features creased in a way that let him know she was scowling inwardly – not outwardly. It passed after a second as her features returned to a neutral, resting state. “It would be in the interest of both of us if we could put this behind us, yes. The path I have chosen was set from the moment I last entered the Hellmouth as a Guardian, and can only end with the annihilation of the threat the Hive pose,” taking a step forward, Eris placed a hand on Gull’s shoulder to hold his attention. “I need you to understand this, so that we may stand together as friends and see the end of my path fulfilled.”

He tensed briefly at the close contact, but gulped down on his rising feelings, accepting that this would have to do from here on out. “Alright, Eris. I understand.” He breathed out, resigned to the decision.

Eris’ hand slid off his shoulder and returned to her side. “Then do not speak of this again,” she cocked her head away from him before gingerly turning away. “I…have work that I must see to. You have what you came for.”

“Yes, I do,” Gull replied, truly meaning what he said. “See you around, Eris.”

Sighing to himself as he walked back towards the centre of the plaza, Gull raised a hand to rub some life into his tired eyes. _Well, that went well._ He thought to himself dejectedly.

“Gunslinger.”

His whole body froze when he heard that familiar tone to Eris' voice - one he thought the new Eris was incapable of - _longing_. He quickly spun to face the Hivesbane.

“Yeah?”

Eris was silent for a moment as she drummed her fingers along the surface of her orb. “I treasure the moments we shared – however brief they were. Those memories provided me the greatest respite during my time in the dark,” her voice dropped to a hushed whisper. “The thought of what you must have endured…what Eriana and so many others had to endure…it emboldened me to survive, to fight. Now I continue fighting to ensure that the Hive cannot repeat our tragedy.”

The Hunter nodded in understanding. “So far so good, I suppose,” Gull quipped, the edges of his mouth turning with a sad smile. “Thank you, Eris. Really. It means a lot to me.”

“Thank you, in turn, for trusting me so readily.” Eris replied.

“Of course, I trust you. I...”

_I love you._

“I believed in what we’re doing-- still believe," he said instead. "I’m just glad more of us are finally getting tired of hiding behind walls,” With one final, hesitant wave of his hand, Gull turned to walk away. “Goodbye, Eris.”

With that, the Hunter took off at a brisk pace, no destination in mind except to get away from the former Guardian for a bit. Never once did he turn around as his empty hand kept coming up to bat at the tears threatening to leak out, clenching the ring of silver keys in the other.

Only his Ghost saw and heard Eris as she continued to watch the Hunter walk away, the black tears that ran down the sides of her face suddenly pouring more fiercely.

“Goodbye…Gull.”

* * *

**Tower Hangar, The Last Safe City, Earth…**

“This isn’t going to work, Gull.”

Gull shifted the small insulated container under his arm as he climbed the stairs to the Shipwright’s office. “You said that about the last two stops we made.”

“Those were just City junk runners – this is _Amanda_ we’re talking about,” Gull felt the Ghost’s nervous unseen gaze glance down at the box he carried. “I think we should have brought more.”

“We don’t need a lot. This is just something to get the conversation started,” Gull murmured as he reached the top of the stairs and made a beeline for the Shipwright – who was currently elbow-deep in a neon-violet Sparrow. “’Scuse me, I have a package for one Amanda Holliday.”

“Oh, just leave it on the table there and I’ll get right to-” Amanda stopped herself when she realised who had approached her, breaking out into a huge smile. “Wh-- Can’t you ever just open up with, ‘Good morning, Amanda!’ like a normal person?”

“Where’s the fun in that?” Gull asked back with a chuckle. Withdrawing her hands from the guts of the speeder’s engine, the blonde turned to give the Hunter a hug – purposefully making a show of wiping her oily hands along his cloak. He grunted in disgust, placing one hand on top of her head to push her away while tousling her short blonde hair vengefully. “Urgh, forget it! I’m returning this to sender.”

“Aw, c’mon Gull!” Amanda quickly grabbed a greasy rag off a nearby rack and frantically wiped her hands on it as she blocked the Guardian’s path. “Don’t be a stiff.”

“Then don’t be a brat,” Gull shot back, though the smile never left his face as Amanda pouted harder and harder until Gull turned around. “You’re lucky my ship thinks so highly of you, kid.”

“ _You’re_ lucky I discount your maintenance fees,” Amanda shot back as she rounded the table, opposite to Gull. “Now, where’s my lil’ buddy?”

“Right here, Amanda,” His Ghost greeted as he appeared over the Hunter’s shoulder. “What’s the name of the day?”

“Mmm…how about…’Theodore’?” Amanda asked after a second of consideration.

The Ghost cringed at the name, speaking in a more nasally voice. “Urgh, no thanks.”

“What’s wrong with Theodore?”

“It’s a placeholder name for Ghost’s with run-of-the-mill Guardians!”

“Theodore the Third’s not gonna like to hear that.” Amanda muttered under her breath.

“Alright, that’s enough you two,” Gull called out as he placed the container on the table and unlatched its lid. He turned the open box to face the Shipwright as he spoke. “Take a look.”

As she peered at the contents within, the Shipwright’s eyes widened with surprise as she looked up at the Hunter. “Where’d you get this? I thought the City was on a dairy shortage.”

“You know I have my ways.” Gull answered with a smirk, reaching in to remove the contents of the container. “This doesn’t mean you get to skip lunch, though.”

“I’m gonna need more than a crème brûlée if I wanted to skip lunch,” she pulled out two stainless steel forks from her drawer and handed one to Gull. Without waiting for him – or washing her hands, for that matter – the blonde Shipwright scooped out a piece of the creamy dessert and stuck it in her mouth, letting out a satisfied moan at the taste. “Oh, sweet Light. I needed this.”

“Busy day?” Gull asked as he took out a small piece for himself. The Gunslinger enjoyed the taste of the dessert well enough, but it was its craft that he really admired. While it was easy enough to find sweetened cream or meringue around the City – when you knew where to look, only a handful of people knew how to make authentic French crème brûlée, its recipe nearly lost in The Collapse and only just barely brought back by a handful of devoted artisans. And while crudely made and not as beautiful as some older refugees claimed they once were, it still tasted amazing.

To Gull, it was a reminder of what they once had – and another thing they stood to lose forever if the Guardians failed in their duty.

“Mhm. Repair orders started flooding in from last night like nobody’s business,” Amanda sighed as she closed her eyes for a moment, enjoying the taste of the cream. When she next opened them, however, they sent Gull a coy smirk. “Alright, Seabird, whaddaya want this time?”

Gull really tried his best to look aghast at the blonde’s direct question, but it was hard to put on an act around her. “What? Can I _not_ get you nice things without there being an ulterior motive?”

“You can,” Amanda surmised as she took another bite. “But you only ever get me crème brûlée when it’s my birthday, or when you want me to do something. And, since it’s _not_ my birthday…”

“She’s got you there, Gull.” The Ghost noted with a sidelong glance.

The Hunter gave his Ghost a deadpanned look before turning back to the Shipwright. “Alright, I need your help with something.”

“Well,” Amanda took another generous scoop out of the dessert, her words muffled as she closed her lips around the fork. “You’ve already handed me the bribe, so let’s hear it.” Kicking out a stool towards the Hunter, Amanda gestured for Gull to sit as she pulled out her own chair and sat across from him.

The humour and joy of their conversation quickly gave way to a more serious tone as Gull steeled his expression, placing his fork on the table. “I need you to clear a launch for me and two other Guardian jumpships tomorrow, then I need you to wipe the launch records.”

Amanda’s posture immediately straightened at Gull’s tone, giving him her full attention. “Wipe the records? Where ya going?”

“Venus, that’s all you need to know.”

“Venus? Gull, what’s going on?”

“Honestly, kid, the less you know, the less trouble you’ll be in.” Gull insisted, adopting a more authoritative tone as he tried to get to drop the matter.

Her eyes darted to his Ghost. “You gonna fill me in on the details, buddy?”

“Don’t say anything.” Gull ordered, just as the Spark looked like it was about to speak.

“Urgh, fine,” Amanda groaned, resigning herself to the Hunter’s secrecy. “At least tell me who the other two pilots are. You gotta give me at least _that_ to clear a launch.”

“You really wanna know?”

“Really _really_ wanna know.”

“Fine. It’s…ah…umm…” the Gunslinger trailed off into a quiet chuckle, eliciting a raised eyebrow look from the Shipwright. “Sorry. I just…ah…I can’t believe I’m saying this,” Gull mumbled before clearing his throat. “It’s…Roman, actually. Fireteam Roman.”

“Wait, seriously?” the Shipwright’s eyes widened for a moment before narrowing as Gull opened his mouth to respond. “Hold on a second…you’re not helping Mira with her thing, are you?”

This time, it was Gull’s turn to be surprised. “You know about Mira’s thing?”

“Uh, duh! Shipwright, remember?” Amanda shouted in exasperation as she shot Gull a look. By the way the blonde cringed at her own words, Gull realised his brows must furrowed together in an irked expression. “Sorry.”

“It’s alright,” Gull replied with a sigh. _I’m as annoyed as you, kid._ “How much do you know?”

“The Vanguard’s only orders were to monitor her ship’s flight patterns and uninstall warp capabilities indefinitely, but word travels fast,” she explained. “From what I’ve heard around the watering holes, apparently she’s obsessed with some new weapon the Vex are field-testing, or something,” she leaned forward conspiratorially. “Some of them are even saying that she’s joined up with them Osiris Cult fellas.”

“Well that’s one rumour I can safely debunk,” Gull chuckled drily. When Amanda continued to stare at him sceptically, Gull put on another knowing smirk. “I’m sure. Trust me on this.”

She slowly shook her head in disagreement. “I don’t know, Gull. This sounds like a bad idea.”

“Oh, it _is_ a bad idea,” Gull agreed. “But we’ve already shaken on it and I don’t intend to go back on my word.”

“You outta make an exception for this one, old man. That Warlock is more trouble than a pit full of starving Dregs!”

Gull huffed at that, jokingly saying, “Sounds like you’re speaking from personal experience,” when Amanda’s mouth twisted into a thin-lipped grimace, however, Gull paused. “Are you?”

“Well…” a hand reached up to rub the back of her neck. “I mean we did…go out…at one point. And well, that ended about as well as you’d imagine.”

“Wait, you what?” Gull asked a second after he processed what Amanda said. “You mean like-”

“Yeah…”

“And you didn’t think to tell me about this sooner?”

“You ain’t my daddy! I don’t have to ask for your permission to date someone.”

“No, but don’t you think I should know when you’re seeing one of my squad mates?”

“We’d already split by then!”

“Well- you should’ve still told me. You’re gonna break your Uncle Gull’s heart, canoodling with strange Warlocks behind my back like that.”

“Don’t you play that card with me, old man.” Amanda scoffed, a broad smile on her face.

“That don’t mean I’m wrong.” the declaration was enough to elicit a chuckle out of the Shipwright, which was reason enough for Gull to smile. “What was it like?”

“What? Dating Mira?” Amanda huffed, leaning back to prop her heels up on the table. “It was…kinda fun, at first. We met up a lot for the first week – sometimes she’d come here, sometimes we’d meet up in the City. She slept over at my place a few nights,” her expression turned wistful as she twirled her fork. “Y’know, I really thought she liked me for a while there.”

“Did’t end badly?”

“Uh, well…one night she came over to my place and we…” the grimace Gull sent her caused Amanda to pause as she considered what to say. “I’ll spare you the details – point is, she was gone when I woke up, along with a bunch of my custom workshop parts.”

“Yeah, sounds like something she’d do,” Gull let out an exasperated sigh. “Tell me you didn’t let her get away with it.”

“Well, I got back the jury-rigged signal receiver and drive core shielding case she swiped, but I never saw the warp drive it came with again,” Amanda shrugged her shoulders glumly. “Made her pay me back in Glimmer, though, so I’m over it.”

“Ah, geez Amanda…”

“I’m not a kid anymore, Gull. I don’t need you comin’ to my rescue and rainin’ down hateful vengeance over everything – not when you got more important things to be doing.”

“I know, but the least you could do was keep me in the loop.”

“Well I’m catchin’ you up now,” swinging her legs back to the ground, the blonde sat upright as she held the Gunslinger’s unwavering gaze. “I don’t trust that Warlock – more importantly I don’t trust her not to risk _your_ life for her crazy obsessions!”

“Why do you think the Fireteam disbanded?” Gull mumbled bitterly. “This is different, though. I know how Mira operates in the field; if she thought I was expendable, she wouldn’t have gone to such great lengths just to get my help,” reaching across the table, Gull grabbed one of Amanda’s hands and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “You know I trust you, but now I’m asking you to trust me. Please.”

The blonde squeezed his hand back. “You know I trust you,” she leered at an invisible point in the air. “It’s that Awoken maniac I don’t trust. But if you’re insistin’ on helping her, I ain’t gonna stand in your way,” picking her tablet back up, Amanda typed as she continued. “How long’re ya gonna be gone, anyway?”

“Hmm?”

“Something tells me this isn’t just some look-see to satisfy the Warlock. So, how long are ya gonna be gone for?”

Gull hesitated; not out of fear, but because he didn’t want the young Shipwright to worry. Instead, his Ghost decided to break the silence for him. “We’ve been asked to help for a maximum of three months.”

“Three _months_?!” Amanda balked. “Now I’ve got a _really_ bad feeling about this.”

“It won’t just be the two of us, ‘Manda,” Gull reassured. “Trust me, I’ll be back.”

“Yeah, you’d better be,” Amanda leered at him, though the Guardian could clearly see the fear and worry hidden behind those eyes. “So, that’s three jumpships with two incognito ID’s. You’d want a low outbound traffic take-off, so I can slot you in for early morning tomorrow. How about 6am?”

“Better make it five.”

“5am it is, then,” Gull breathed out a sigh of relief at Amanda’s agreement to help. He didn’t like to coerce the Shipwright into any of his off-the-book schemes – even if she wanted to help, but this part of the plan could backfire horribly without the right person for the job. “Alright, it’s done.”

“Thanks, kid,” Gull said as he stood to follow her. “I’ll try and see if I can bring you back something interesting where we’re going.”

She stopped to glance up at the Gunslinger, lowering her datapad to her side. “Just bring yourself back,” she snapped, bolting to her feet as the blonde turned to walk away. “That’s all I want out of this.”

Gull was out of his chair a second behind her. “Amanda, wait,” he called out calmly as he strode to catch up to her. When he was within arms-length of the blonde, he placed both his hands on her shoulders to stop her.

The blonde didn’t resist as Gull urged her to turn around through gentle tugs to her shoulders, wherein she sent him an irked pout.

Gull sighed as he gave the Shipwright a sad smile in return. “I’m not leaving with you mad at me.”

Amanda held her expression for a moment longer before leaning forward to wrap the Hunter in a tight hug. “I’m not mad at you,” her words were muffled as she buried her face in his shoulder. “But I can replace a few stolen ship parts. I can’t find another you.”

He returned the embrace after a moment, speaking in hushed tones next to her ear. “You’re not losing me to that dang Warlock, not a chance,” pulling away far enough for him to look her in the eyes, Gull gave her shoulders a reassuring rub. “I will see you again. I promise.”

After a moment, the Shipwright disentangled herself from the embrace and glanced up at the Ghost. “You watch out for him, ya hear?”

“Sworn to always serve and protect, remember?” the Ghost replied proudly. “Even if my Guardian is a bit of a nincompoop.”

“Hey!”

Though he seemed irked by the Ghost, internally Gull was thanking him for his quick wit as Amanda’s visage gave way to a mirthful chuckle. Giving her one last parting pat to the shoulder, Gull bobbed his gaze over the Shipwright’s shoulder. “You need to be somewhere?”

“Yeah, I just need to arrange a few things with Tower Controls to make sure I wipe the backups,” she explained, thumbing over her shoulder towards the elevator that led to air traffic control. “You?”

“Last-minute packing. Travelling for three is such a pain.” Gull gave an exaggerated groan as he turned to walk away.

“Good luck with that!” Amanda called out as he took off, glancing over his shoulder one more time to watch the blonde give him a sad smile.

“Bye, Amanda!” His Ghost called out from his shoulder.

“Catch ya later, Theodore.” She called back.

“That name’s not gonna stick!” he called out before vanishing. “It’s not gonna stick, right?” the Spark asked over their private channel.

“I’m not calling you Theodore – that’s a throwaway name.”

“Oh, thank goodness.”

“If you don’t stop asking me for a name, though, I might just take one of Amanda’s recommendations,” Gull continued with a smirk. “What did you think of ‘Randal’ again?”

“Stop. Right now.”

"Yeah...thought so."


	8. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fireteam Roman embarks on their most daring adventure yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Shorter (comparatively) chapter this time before we launch into the fun. And by fun, I mean we're going deep into headcanon and my own personal worldbuilding of a completely different environment to what Destiny is used to.
> 
> It's gonna be crazy, familiar, heartbreaking and comforting, but it is certainly NOT going to be boring.
> 
> And hopefully it won't take too long.

**Launching Bay D5, Tower Hangar, The Last Safe City, Earth…**

“Remind me again why I agreed to this?”

“Because you needed my help?”

“Yes, I needed _your_ help,” Mira stressed the word as she brought a hand up to rub the bridge of her nose. “I didn’t say anything about _his_ help.” The Warlock stated as she gestured to the nearby Guardian, stuck head-first in an empty oil barrel and legs kicking about aimlessly.

“…He’s part of my terms of service.” Gull replied after a second.

“Look, when I said I’d agree to anything-”

“We’ll need the extra muscle.” The Hunter insisted.

“This goes a step too far,” Mira continued with a sharp look. “I was willing to put up with the changes you made to my inventory-”

“Again, all essential to our survival.”

“But when you said you might know someone who could help us, I expected someone, I don’t know, reliable? Competent? Unlikely to spontaneously discharge Arc pulses that disrupt my sensitive research gear?!”

“Well, I tried, but the moment I dropped your name every Titan I tried to hire looked like they’d rather dive out the nearest window,” Gull shot back. “Repeatedly.”

His words caused Mira to freeze in her tracks as she pivoted towards him. “You went about the Tower yesterday recruiting extra help using _my_ name?” the Warlock exclaimed, her eyes wide in shock. “Me, the Guardian with the publicly-known probation order on her? You just told anyone you met that I was putting together a rogue expedition under the Vanguard’s notice?!”

“Take it easy – it was a joke.” Gull hushed as he glanced about the vacant hangar bay. “Though you’re doing fine giving us away all on your own.”

“You don’t like it, then don’t make bad jokes.” Mira grumbled through gritted teeth.

“Oh, so now you’re a comedian now, too?” the barb was met by a sharp leer from the Awoken, who clenched her fists in challenge as the Gunslinger sighed and rolled his eyes dismissively. “Look, Beta wasn’t my first choice, but he’s a liability if we leave him here.” Gull explained just as the nearby bay doors opened, the machinery in the lower garage whirring to life as their ships were brought out of storage.

“You really think he’d tell on us?” Mira asked, furrowing her brows at the upturned, bumbling Titan just a few feet away.

“Not quite,” Gull muttered as the metal drum fell with a clatter, sending the Exo for a spin across the hangar. “He comes looking for me every second or third day, always causing a huge ruckus in the Tower. I usually take him out for a patrol where the only thing he can break are Fallen, but if I’m not here…” Gull shook his head at the thought. “Also, I…think he doesn’t know the Fireteam disbanded.”

“You didn’t tell him?”

“ _You_ didn’t tell him,” Gull shot back. “You wanna break up the team, you gotta be the one to let everyone know.”

“We agreed it was mutually beneficial!” Mira insisted, stomping her foot irritably.

“ _He_ didn’t!” Gull hissed, eyeing the Titan’s visible lower half as he managed to right himself, before running headfirst into a nearby forklift and falling over again. Gull sighed as he raised a hand to cup his eyes. “Look, I’ve tried to get rid of him-”

“Obviously not.” Mira interrupted.

“But he’s here now, so if you want him gone,” Gull quickly crouched down to pick up the footlocker at his feet. “You tell him to leave.”

“Me?!” Mira exclaimed. “Why me?”

“Because I’ll be over there loading up the last of our cargo.” Gull called over his shoulder as he walked off towards his Kestrel-class interceptor, freshly risen out of the hangar’s garage.

“Wh- hang on a second!” she called out, but knew it was futile as she turned back to the struggling Titan with a groan. “Must he _always_ insist on making things more complicated than they have to be?”

“Doesn’t seem very complicated to me,” Lumiere noted. “If you don’t want him to come with us, just tell him to get lost.”

“Seems a little harsh, doesn’t it?”

“Wouldn’t be your first time.” Lumiere pointed out.

“That’s…different.” Mira replied with a sigh.

“Sounds like the only thing complicated here is you.”

“Oh, shut it,” she snapped at her Ghost for the remark, though the Warlock didn’t deny it. Glancing over at the Titan one more time, Mira took in a deep breath as she began walking towards him. “Alright, I’ll make it quick.”

Despite her resolve to dismiss Beta as quickly as possible, Mira couldn’t help but feel a swell of guilt in the pit of her stomach. This wasn’t supposed to be difficult; she’d worked with other Guardians and scholars for longer and had no trouble dismissing them with ruthless efficiency once she was done with them. _He_ wasn’t supposed to be any different from the droves of knuckleheaded, brawny Titans with grey matter in their fists who’s most complex battle tactic was to ‘hit it harder’.

And yet, he _was_ different.

Mira stopped a metre short of the Exo, who had begun to aimlessly walk in a circle as his Ghost barked increasingly frustrated commands at him. “No, Beta- you’re gonna trip on the pipe aga-- stop walking in a circle!”

“Here, let me help with that.” Mira offered, causing Beta to stop and turn in the direction of her voice.

“Mom? Is that you?” Beta asked.

“What? No, Beta I-” she let out an exasperated sigh. “Just, hold still for a second.”

Once Beta calmed down enough, Mira used both hands to gently tug the metal drum off the Exo. She met resistance a couple times when the barrel caught against Beta’s bulky armour, eventually forcing the Titan to bend over so Mira could get a better angle. Mira almost fell backwards from the excess momentum when it finally came loose, but managed to catch herself at the last second by planting the barrel behind her as she tripped.

“I’m free!” Beta gasped as he stumbled about, tripping over his own feet before falling flat on his rear with a loud metal clang. “Ow,” he exclaimed stolidly before glancing up at the other Guardian. “Oh, hi Mira!”

“Hello, Beta,” she greeted in return, approaching to help him up. “Thank you for coming here so early in the morning.”

“You better be grateful,” Copperhead announced as he appeared over his Guardian’s shoulder. “Do you know how hard it is to wake up this sack of bricks at four in the morning? I had to set six alarms and rig a hydraulic press under his bed strong enough to tip over a tank just to get him here on time.”

“And a good morning to you too, Copperhead,” she replied with a thin-lipped smile. “Sorry to trouble you over it, in any case.”

“It was only trouble if we got up this early for nothing.”

“But it’s not for nothing, CP!” Beta stated as he smiled at his Ghost. “Because we’re going on an adventure!”

“An…adventure?” Mira repeated the word, testing how it sounded to say.

“Yeah, that’s what Gull told me,” Beta explained, sounding all too pleased with himself. “About time the team went on some new adventures.”

“Yes, well it’s more of a scientific expedition, and while I do appreciate your help, we’re carrying a lot of sensitive cargo – my gear can be quite…delicate, you see, and I don’t want to trouble you with handling it.” Mira reasoned.

“I can be delicate!” Beta beamed. “My hands are so delicate; they can make omelettes without even breaking the egg.”

“That’s because you broke the frying pans.” Copperhead pointed out.

“And not a single egg got broke,” Beta shot back with a smirk. “Best frying pan omelette I’ve ever made.”

“…Right,” Mira trailed off as she thought of the best way to detract the Exo’s enthusiasm. “Anyway, I’m not sure if Gull told you this but this is going to be a _little_ more dangerous than what we’re used to. There’s going to be a _lot_ of bad guys and not a lot of safe places we can go to.”

“Don’t worry, Mira. I’ll watch our backs and keep us safe.”

“That’s the thing; neither I nor Gull can guarantee to always be watching _your_ back,” as she spoke, Mira made sure to keep her tone concerned, hopefully enough to warrant the Exo’s worry. “If you get hurt out there, we might not always be able to help you, so no one’s forcing you to come with us if you don’t want to.”

This seemed to give Beta pause for a moment before he placed a hand on Mira’s shoulder. “That’s ok, Mira. No one’s forcing you to come on the super fun adventure, either.”

“What?” Mira balked incredulously. “It’s not a- look,” she raised a hand to pinch the bridge of her nose as she started again. “This is _my_ mission and I’m trying to tell you that you don’t have to risk your life for it, because there’s no guarantee we’re coming back.”

“I get it,” Beta assured her. “This is my super fun dangerous adventure and I don’t have to go, and you don’t have to go, but I wanna go.”

“No, Beta, this is _my_ dangerous adventure-- expedition-- whatever! _I_ have to go, but _you_ don’t have to go.” She spoke slower this time, as if talking to a child – or a really old, really senile person, and hoped that would help get her message across.

“Normally I’d be ok with letting you run off on your own and get yourself killed,” Copperhead said, interjecting himself into the conversation. “But I’ve been stuck in the Tower for the past ten days because _this guy_ insists on waiting for Glock McSeagull over there to hit us up for our next mission,” Copperhead bobbed his shell in the direction of the Hunter, who was tapping away at his ship’s portable interface to transmat several storage lockers into the jumpship. “So, if I have to cover for anymore infrastructure damage because this dingus ran full speed into a concrete wall-”

“You stay out of this,” Mira interrupted with a raised finger and sharp glare. “I’m not doing this because I don’t want you to come along, I’m just…thinking of your well-being – is all. There are plenty of other Guardian Fireteams who would be… _fortunate_ , to have such an accomplished Striker fighting alongside them.”

Copperhead cleared his throat loudly in response to her words, receiving a leer from the Awoken for his troubles while Beta continued to stare at her – seemingly deep in thought. He blinked a couple times after a moment, his gaze still unfocused as Mira began to grow impatient and snapped her fingers in front of his face. This broke Beta’s dazed state as the Exo shook his head before speaking. “What were we talking about?”

“The expedition, Beta.”

“We’re going on an expedition?!” Beta gasped gleefully.

For a moment, Mira’s whole form slumped forward before she turned around and walked a few steps from the Exo. Then, in a practice she was familiar with, slapped a hand over her mouth to muffle her frustrated shrieks.

The Titan looked on at Mira curiously as she screamed into her palm. When she finally returned – panting heavily as she regained her breath, it was with a pained grimace and both hands rubbing the sides of her temple. “You know what? Fine! Come along if you want!” Mira yelled, throwing her hands up in the air. “Throw yourself off a cliff, for all I care! Because I don’t have the time or temperament right now to come up with a polite way to tell you to _fuck off_!”

As her fury simmered down, fear quickly crept up the Sunsinger’s heart as she worried that she may have gone a step too far in her outburst - again. Internally, she chastised herself for letting her irritation and impatience get the better of her internal logic as Mira braced herself for the worst.

A moment of stunned silence passes before Beta explodes, but not the way she expected. “Alright!” he cheers as his cheek plates pull upwards in a smile. “CP, let’s fly!” he says to his Ghost as he dashes across the hangar in excitement.

Mira is both shocked and relieved to see Beta run off without a care in the world – must mostly relieved.

Copperhead lingers back a moment to watch his Guardian go before glancing at the Warlock. “Good talk, Mira. Always enjoy seeing the team’s orator in action.”

“Would you rather I use my _other_ expertise to persuade him against coming along?” Mira asked, conjuring a ball of Solar light in her hand to demonstrate what she meant.

“Oh, please. As if you-- as if _anyone_ , for that matter, could stop Beta Tauri-1337 with brute force,” Copperhead shot back, rolling his eye. “Just be glad I’ll be coming with to keep an eye on him,” The Ghost darted closer, red eye flashing before Mira’s face. “And you.”

“Me?”

“Don’t think I forgot about what happened in Old Chicago. You try something like that again,” Copperhead leaned in as he hissed his next words. “And I’ll be ready this time.”

Mira wasn’t sure if a Ghost was capable of inspiring fear, but she was certain that was what she was feeling as she stared into Copperhead’s red, angry eye. A couple seconds passed as Mira held her breath before Copperhead’s form flashed with a faint blue light. Mira huffed in relief.

“Looks like your Guardian needs you.”

Copperhead looked up towards the open hangar doors, eye narrowing as he flitted over to the edge. “Did he seriously just throw himself out the door?!” his gaze darts between Mira and the last place he saw his Guardian before growling and leaving to resurrect the Titan. “You’re lucky he likes you, otherwise I’d have taken one of Gull’s spare tripwire mines and shoved it right down your…” Copperhead’s angry ranting trailed off as he flew over the edge to look for the Titan’s body.

“Yup,” Mira thought out loud. “Not quite like any Titan I’ve ever met.”

“He’s certainly something different,” Lumiere assented as his gaze flitted to the Warlock. “I can already tell this’ll be a very interesting adventure.”

“Expedition. Please use the correct terminology around your Guardian.”

“I did,” Lumiere corrected, the smug audible in his tone. “Uncharted territory with your ex-Fireteam? This is _definitely_ going to be an adventure.”

* * *

“Ok, everything’s loaded away, and the ships are fueled up,” Gull stated as he approached the Sunsinger. “Our window of departure is in…six minutes, which gives us plenty of time to get settled.”

“Are the warp reactors charged?” Mira asked as she peeled her gaze away from the Traveller.

Gull breathed out a chuckle. “We’re going to Venus, not Pluto. We’ll have enough warp capability to make the back-and-forth trip without issue.”

“Just helps to be prepared.” Mira pointed out, though there was no energy to it as she turned away to stare at the broken pale sphere hovering over the City.

“Well, too late for that now,” Gull shrugged as he turned to leave. “Saddle up! I’m going to clear us with Tower Control.”

The Warlock faintly heard herself mutter back some form of affirmation as she continued to look upon the Traveller, ears and mind trained on the faint melody that surrounded it.

To think that the first time she ever heard it was along the Shattered Coast, decades ago, was remarkable. With no sense of direction and no memory of who she was Mira’s only instinct then was to follow the sound, leading her across the vastness of space to a city still recovering from its war with The Fallen – which would later be known as the Battle of Twilight Gap.

Arriving in the wake of a disaster, the Vanguard welcomed the new Guardian with open arms and began training her as a Warlock as soon as Mira understood the stakes of their survival. Ikora had been amazed that an initiate could hear the melody of the Light from so far away, so soon after being revived.

She had never looked more enthusiastic to train a Sunsinger, and Mira had never been more eager to learn about her ‘gift’.

_Fat lot it’s doing for me now, though._

Mira wondered if the Traveller would approve of what she was doing – if it had a voice to approve of her in the first place. The Vanguard certainly didn’t; but they had the City’s best interests at heart, not the will of the Light and the Traveller.

So, Mira listened – opening her ears and mind, just as she was taught to. She hoped to catch a glimpse of something, a change in the melody, perhaps. A rise in octave or dip in the pitch would be enough for her to know that the Traveller was watching, listening – approving.

But the melody never changed. It was the same three-note tune she always heard – and occasionally hummed to pass the time – as if to decipher its meaning.

_“There are many theories as to the meaning behind that mystery. Why is it only those who naturally take to the Sunsinger discipline can hear it? Why does it sound different – louder or softer – to some Sunsingers?”_ Ikora had once told her after a training session – finally agreeing to answer _one_ of her questions after she had interrupted the lesson with a dozen unanswered ones. _“So far, though, the most likely reason…is that there isn’t one. It’s simply…the white noise of the Light.”_

_It can’t just be white noise_ , Mira has silently thought to herself ever since that day. _Something that important to me can’t just mean nothing. You’ll see…once I figure out what it is._

“Just like this signal,” Mira said aloud. “I know it’s not nothing. But I don’t expect gratitude when I prove myself right, only forgiveness.”

With that said, the Warlock turned around to head towards her ship. She nearly skittered to a stop, however, when she realised the Gunslinger was standing only a few feet away, eyes trained on her. “You done talking to yourself?”

“Don’t you have anything better to do than creep on a lady?” She spat back with a glare.

“I do, but you’re not,” Gull replied without hesitation, slowly approaching her. “Why? Having second thoughts?”

“…None,” she says coolly, walking up to meet the Hunter halfway. “My conscience is clear. How about yours?”

“Perfectly. So long as this investigation of yours isn’t just a wild goose chase.”

“It’s not.” She insists.

“Good,” Gull takes a glance at his wrist-link and looks back up to Mira. “Two minutes. Time to go.”

“Right, sync up,” Holding out her wrist before Gull, the Hunter hesitated a second before mirroring her stance as the two Guardians synchronised their telemetry signatures, both vanishing into their respective jumpships simultaneously.

Mira settled into the pilot’s seat of the _Laughing Behind Your Back_ as she listened to Gull talk to Tower Control, requesting clearance for take-off. She exhaled a nervous breath, her hands resettling on the flight controls as she called to mind Gull’s instructions.

The Hunter was to launch out of the hangar first, followed by Mira and Beta a couple seconds later right as Tower Control’s electronics experienced an unexpected reset. The blind spot in their systems may only last a few seconds, but it’ll be more than enough time for the Warlock and Titan to get lost in the stream of aircrafts flitting about the City.

And then it’s off to Venus.

She waited and watched as Gull’s jumpship lifted off the ground and sped out of the hangar before switching over to the Fireteam’s comm channel. “Alright, Copperhead, let’s synchronise our launch sequence.”

A hand reached for the thruster controls before a familiar voice broke across the frequency, causing Mira to freeze. “Hold your horses, Vuul. I’ll let you know when you’re clear.”

_Just my luck,_ Mira thought to herself as she keyed herself into the channel. “Amanda, what a pleasant surprise.” She said with none of the enthusiasm.

“What? You thought you could authorise a three-man launch without my help?” the Shipwright let out a bitter chuckle. “Not a chance. Now keep the line clear while I pull a couple of Tower Controls’ wires.”

With no other choice, Mira sat back and waited – completely at the mercy of a _very_ peeved-sounding Shipwright. Two seconds became three, and three quickly became five, then five became ten. Unconsciously, Mira’s foot began tapping in agitation as she thumbed the comms again. “Any day now, Holliday.”

“Hang on, it’s almost ready.”

A thought crossed her mind then that made the Warlock seize with fear. She thumbed the comms again, harder this time. “I swear, Amanda, if you’re stalling for time, either tell that Vanguard squad to hurry it up or lock down the bloody hangar down yourself – because we both know you’ve been waiting for the right chance to fu-”

“Got it! Go – now!”

Mira’s hand was on her throttle in a flash, pushing her engines from zero to a hundred in under two seconds as she and Beta shot out of the hangar simultaneously. As the flight stabilisers kicked in and the turbulence evened out, Mira breathed out a sigh of relief she didn’t realise she had been holding in.

“Fireteam Roman, you are clear of City airspace. No alarms going off and your today’s flight records have just been corrupted,” Amanda announced as Mira located Gull’s jumpship in the stratosphere and flew into formation behind him. “Good luck out there, Vuul. You’re gonna need it.” Amanda’s follow-up lacked its usual self-satisfied energy and was instead laced with bitterness.

“Luck rarely swings my way, Mandy. I’ll do just fine without it.” Mira replied before cutting off communications and leaning back with a sigh as the autopilot took the ship into orbit.

“You seriously thought Amanda had ratted us out? After all this time?” Lumiere asked, receiving a pointed look from his Warlock.

“You know she hates it when people call her Mandy, right?” Gull asked, his voice carrying across her Ghost’s telemetry.

“I know.” Mira simply stated as the blue sky quickly gave way to a void full of stars.

“Yeah, well you’re gonna owe her one when we get back, so you might want to reconsider your nicknames.”

If _we get back,_ Mira thought silently.

“I’ll start coming up with ways to repay the favour, then.”

Gull simply huffed in reply as their ships slowed to a drift once they were in orbit. “Alright then, Sunshine. This is your Op, we’ll follow your lead,” he announced, pulling his ship back so that she was at the head of the squadron. “Where to?”

Lumiere needed no encouragement as he pulled up the ship’s navigation for Mira. Keying in their next destination and transmitting it to the rest of the team, a genuine smile crossed her lips as – for a moment – the Sunsinger allowed herself to enjoy the nostalgic feeling of their situation.

“Venus, Aphrodite Region.”


	9. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The newly-reformed Fireteam Roman arrives at Venus and sets their sights on the Aphrodite Region.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Apologies for the delay. I took a break from this story to get started on a new series of original Star Wars stories, but I'm back to complete the next act of EON. I can't give a definitive date as to when they'll be done, but I AM constantly working on them, so...we've got that to look forward to.
> 
> Speaking of things to look forward to, the Darkness has finally arrived! It's definitely an exciting time for Destiny and, in the future, I might think to churn out some new stories that follow the story after Beyond Light. As it stands, Fireteam Roman's story will extend way into Forsaken, so there'll be a lot of ground to cover with these three.
> 
> Anyway, that's all I can think to say. Hope everyone's staying safe.

**Venus, Cytherean Outer Orbit…**

The yellow planet was much smaller than usual when Fireteam Roman dropped out of warp. Instead of looming in front of her viewscreen as soon as they re-emerged in real-space, Venus looked to be about the size of a Ghost as they made their approach.

Mira had explained to the others earlier that dropping out further away was necessary to avoid tripping the Vanguard orbital sensors around the planet. Primarily designed to monitor Fallen ships moving about the orbital perimeter, the satellites also tagged Guardian ships moving in and out of Venus.

Even with their jumpship’s transponders disabled, flying by one would still trip the sensor and send an alert back to Earth. As such, Mira had everyone drop out of warp early so they could pass through a blind spot in the grid that she had learnt about through the FWC.

A blind spot that the FWC _conveniently_ forgot to mention to the Vanguard.

The route through the blind spot took them for a spiral once they approached the planet’s atmosphere, but it was simple enough that the autopilot could handle it as long as they kept to a tight formation. It was easy, but nerve-wracking for the Warlock as she watched how close they came to some of the satellites on her navi-computer.

They had to maintain radio-silence on their approach, which left Mira alone with her thoughts for a few minutes.

She immediately began thinking of anything to talk about with her Ghost to make the time pass quicker.

“So, Lumiere,” she chimed awkwardly, eager to break the silence. “Found out anything new about our mysterious Golden-Age dialler?”

“If you have to ask, the answer is probably going to be ‘no’. I already told you I’d let you know as soon as anything came up,” Lumiere replied, much to Mira’s disappointment. She sighed, another topic of conversation already on her mind when the Ghost continued. “On that note, you should know that I’ve finished analysing your _unusual_ encounter with that Cyclops on the Endless Steps.”

“What? When?” she asked excitedly.

“Just a few minutes after our first meeting with the Vanguard.”

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” she asked, annoyed that her Ghost had kept this from her.

“Well, we didn’t exactly have much time to talk, now did we?” Lumiere shot back.

“…Fair,” Mira conceded after a moment of silence. “Well, we’ve got plenty of time now. So, what was that…ability?”

“I’m…still not _entirely_ sure about that part,” Lumiere admitted sheepishly, earning a frown from the Warlock. “What I _can_ say for sure is that you weren’t using the Light to do it. Well – not in the way you usually do.”

This caught Mira’s curiosity. “…How so?”

“Well, according to your bio-signature, you _were_ using a small amount of Light to channel that…whatever that was, but my environment scanners also picked up a sudden spike in dark matter and neutrino particles – concentrated around the area you were channelling your Light.”

“So…my hands?” Mira guessed, glancing down at her uncovered blue fingers. “Just like with the telekinesis…Is there any record of the Light being able to do that – among any of the Guardian ranks?”

“Not like this. Usually the Light is used as the main element in a Guardian’s abilities, but you were using it like…like a catalyst – warping photonic energy and dark matter with…well, your will – I suppose. There’s no other explanation I can come up with,” Lumiere chuckled incredulously at the assumption. “Even by a Warlock’s standards, doing something like that is like-”

“Like magic,” Mira finished for the Spark. Looking out into the dense sulfuric clouds of Venus, she mused quietly. “Like the Awoken of the Reef.”

Lumiere glanced at her warily. “I…suppose the behaviour of that energy concentration was similar to certain events in Reef reports, but I don’t think even the Awoken are capable of doing it on such a…a physical scale.”

“Well, our reports on Awoken activity are still sketchy, in no small part due to _Her-Royal-Majesty_ ,” she shrugged her shoulders. “They could be capable of a lot more than we realise.”

“Look, I can’t claim to be any sort of expert on this but blocking a laser beam with Awoken magic is a _big_ step from moving things with your mind.”

“Didn’t block it-- I reflected it,” she corrected. “And – yes, I know it’s a big step, but I don’t think its outside the realm of possibility. I’ve read rumours and stolen legends about some kind of Awoken sorcerers called ‘Techeuns’ who had the power to create miniature black holes,” her eyes shone with ambition as she turned to her Ghost. “Can you imagine? If I could learn more about these Awoken powers, along with the Light…”

“You’d be a very dangerous Guardian,” Lumiere acknowledged with some humour in its tone. “But if you were capable of that, don’t you think that we would’ve heard about it from other Awoken Guardians?”

“Ikora always said my aptitude for telekinesis was a lot stronger than most Awoken she’s known,” Mira noted with a shrug. Maybe I’m…different.”

“How?”

“How should I know?” she snapped at her Ghost, growing frustrated with his constant questioning. His gaze never faltered as he seemed to search her face for something. Mira eventually sighed, breathing out her frustrations as guilt set in. “I just…you told me the Traveller brought me back because it saw something in me - something special, right? Maybe this is it." Lumiere stayed silent. Mira sighed again, this time in a mix of frustration and fatigue. "I wish there were an expert we could talk to this about.”

“Agh, we should’ve talked to Ikora about this before-,” Mira stiffened at Lumiere’s remark, the recent memory of what transpired still a raw nerve for her. The Ghost seemed to sense this after a moment, lowering its shell bits dejectedly. “Uh, well- I…I suppose it doesn’t matter now.”

Not for the first time, Mira began to doubt her decision to break her probation and go to Venus in search of the signal’s origin. There was a lot she left unfulfilled and unsaid back on Earth, and the thought of never being able to return – should they fail – was a daunting realisation.

Before she could spiral too far into that train of thought, however, Gull’s voice spoke out over the Fireteam frequency. “Alright, ladies and robots, we should be out of the atmospheric interference by now. There’s a few things I reckon are worth mentioning before we get on with this…suicide mission.”

Mira rolled her eyes at the audible shudder Gull gave as he spoke. “Is it important, Gull? I was in the middle of something.”

“You were _brooding_.” Lumiere remarked, thankfully not while patched into the comms systems. Mira shot him a dirty look as Gull continued to speak.

“Matter of fact, it is pretty important. I downloaded everything the Vanguard public servers had on the Aphrodite Region, and it seems they’ve had good reason to flag it as a no-fly zone,” Gull began. “Seems the high altitude of the landscape and some sort of chemical compound in the air plays havoc on jumpship systems - even more than usual.”

“Meaning?” Copperhead asked.

“Meaning guidance systems won’t work if we’re flying too high, and without a clear layout of the geography flying low runs the risk of us crashing into a mountain,” the Hunter explained. “Not to mention that the weather seems to be kicking up electrical storms all across the region. Not only will it be like flying a kite through a thunderstorm, but we won’t be able to transmat anything from orbit while we’re on the ground.”

“Splendid,” Mira replied drily. “I suppose that means we’ll be landing somewhere to off-load the gear.”

“I’ve gone over some of the locations marked on Eris’ old journals. There’s one place that seems like it’d make a good forward base – assuming no one’s decided to move in while the Hunters stopped using it.”

“An old Hunter hideout?” Lumiere asked.

“Yeah, supposed to be some kind of camp during the Great Hunt, but I’ve never heard of it,” Mira’s navi-computer blinked with a new set of coordinates as Gull transmitted the location to the rest of the Fireteam. “Follow me in, the entry point’s gonna be pretty hard to spot.”

“Alright. Take point.” Reducing her ship’s engine speed, the Sunsinger allowed Gull to fly on ahead of the formation.

“There’s something else I think we need to decide; what do we do about our ships while we’re down there?” Gull asked.

“Oh, I know! We bury them in leaves, so that the horse-people can’t find them.” Beta offered, much to Mira’s bemusement.

“I suppose the storm will be keeping us from calling them down from orbit?” she asked.

“It’ll keep us from calling them down to _most_ places. There are a few low-interference spots where we should be able to reach them without issue, but most of them are on mountaintops with no decent places to touch down. So, we’re left with two options: either we land them while we’re down there - where they’re vulnerable, or we send them back to orbit where we won’t be able to reach them.”

Mira thought this over for a moment. “Will our Sparrows still work?”

“Yes, but unless you’re planning on driving up and down the mountains-” Gull replied. “It’ll be easier walking and using the climbing cables.”

 _The goes the idea of setting up a tow, then._ “What if we land one ship to store our cargo in while the others return to orbit? That way we won’t leave _all_ our means of escape exposed while not having to bear all of our burdens at once.”

“That’s…not a bad idea, Mira,” Lumiere stated, much to the Warlock’s ego. “But which unfortunate ship do we ground?”

“Not mine,” Gull said immediately. “My intake insulators aren’t built to withstand Venus’ acidic atmosphere. It won’t last a week planet-side.”

“Oh, me! Pick me!” Beta chirped. “I wanna land my ship!”

“Well, I suppose it’s the logical choice,” Copperhead reluctantly agreed with a sigh. “The _Birth of History_ does have the largest cargo capacity compared to your scrawny ships…grr, alright. But you better find us a decent parking spot.”

“If Eris’ intel is still good, you’re about to get more than just a decent parking spot.” Gull replied before cutting off and speeding ahead. In the distance, Mira could see the planet’s twilight zone in the distance as they approached the edge of the Aphrodite Highlands. The continent, shrouded in a half-year long darkness, would be unlike any terrain she has had to cross yet.

But Mira was more than eager for the challenge.

“Only way to find out how far this power goes is to learn on our feet.” She said to her Ghost, addressing their earlier conversation.

Lumiere remained silent for the rest of the journey. Mira sensed that the silence wasn’t out of agreement or contempt, but one of acceptance.

* * *

The amber-green afternoon sky above soon turned a burnt-umber where the last of the sun’s rays could be seen, while an oppressive cover of dark storm clouds loomed across the water. Flashes of lightning lit up a rocky land mass on the horizon, like a mythical monster rising out of the orange, sulfuric ocean.

“You sure about this, Gull?” Copperhead asked worriedly. “It’s getting pretty hard to see and we’re flying pretty low.”

“This journal has a lot of precise instructions on how to reach the hideout. Hunters don’t leave instructions on traversing unknown territory unless it’s necessary.” Gull explained, his interceptor merely a faint set of floodlights ahead.

“ _Or_ they’re meaningless scribbles of a crazed Guardian.”

“Eris is _not_ crazy!” Mira flinched at the unexpected bark of anger from the Hunter. As they passed over the foliage-covered cliffs, only a few metres above the treetops, Gull continued in a calmer voice. “We’re not far now. Reduce throttle and stay close behind me.”

“If we crash into a mountain, I swear…” Copperhead didn’t finish that thought as the rocks on either side of their path grew taller and taller. It took Mira a moment to realise they had entered a canyon.

“Ok, I think I see the way leading up to the entrance now.” Gull commented as the canyon widened briefly before Gull took a turn down a narrow passageway. Mira and Beta had to veer sharply in order to keep up with him, but just as the Warlock was about to reprimand him for the Gunslinger’s hazardous communication skills, her eyes were drawn to topographical map of the area her ship was generating.

“Gull, the only thing that’s ahead of us is a sheer rock wall – pull up!” She shouted over the comms.

“If it were easy, anyone could find it,” Gull muttered as another bolt of lightning lit up the cliff-face ahead. “Reduce speed by half and stay close. You four are about to get a practical lesson in secret Hunter entrances.”

A collision alert lit up on Mira’s dashboard as she followed the Human’s lead, but as they closed in on the cliff the Sunsinger’s mind began to fill with doubts. Two seconds from impact, the Warlock suddenly came to her senses.

“Damn it all!” Mira cursed aloud as she put the ship’s thrusters in reverse and angled its nose away from the cliff. She squeezed her eyes shut as the g-force pressed her into her seat while the _Laughing Behind Your Back_ made a sudden and complete stop.

“Whoa, Beta watch out!” Copperhead exclaimed just as Mira opened her eyes to see a set of floodlights speeding towards her ship, engines screaming to a halt just inches from a direct impact. “What the hell, Mira? You can’t just stop like that without warning!”

“You were gonna stop, too!” Mira pointed out.

“Only after you flew into the cliff!”

“I’m fine, by the way. Thanks for the concern, though.” Gull’s snarked over the comms. It then occurred to Mira that she hadn’t heard any sort of explosion from the Hunter’s jumpship colliding with the rock wall.

Rotating her ship around, the Awoken saw no sign of Gull or his ship – only a solid rock wall covered in overgrown ferns and branches.

That was, until a set of floodlights shone through the cover of leaves along the rock wall. “Well? You waiting for an invitation?”

Mira continued to stare at the set of lights that seemed to come from within the cliff itself, completely perplexed. “How-?”

“It’s like Cayde always says, ‘the best hiding spots are in plain sight’,” The beams of light turned away and disappeared further into the cliff. “Don’t worry. It’s perfectly safe.”

Not wanting to seem awestruck by the turn of events, Mira eased her ship forward to follow after the Gunslinger. Pushing through the cover of leaves and ferns, she found that behind it was not solid rock, but a length of smart fabric; a type of cloth from the Golden-Age that could change its texture and colour on the fly. This stretch of fabric was altered to match the cliff’s surface, covering cave entrance large enough for her ship to pass through.

“Incredible,” Lumiere exclaimed as they passed through the tunnel, careful to avoid bumping into the walls and low roof as Mira glided towards the opening at its end.

“Hold on, you can’t expect us to fit through there!” Copperhead exclaimed. “Have you _seen_ the engines on this thing? We’ll get stuck on the rocks.”

“Actually, the cave’s dimensions are just large enough for you to fit through,” Gull’s Ghost stated matter-of-factly. “Just make sure to fly perfectly straight, and you shouldn’t feel a thing.”

“Fly perfectly straight-- why don’t you come out here and say that to my face you…” the rest of Copperhead’s mutterings were too soft to be heard over the frequency. “Better let me take the wheel, Beta. And don’t bounce about, I need to concentrate on this.”

 _Not my problem,_ Mira conceded as she pushed on to the end of the narrow tunnel. As the Phaeton-class fighter exited the tunnel, Mira was momentarily blinded by a flash of light in her face, but as she slowly got used to it the Warlock realised that it was the beams from her floodlights, bouncing off a reflective surface back at her.

Switching them off, the immediate brightness of the area became tolerable enough for the Sunsinger to finally take in the space she was in, and what she saw made her gasp. All across the walls and roof of the cavern were smooth, clear crystalline formations. As it went deeper the walls gave way to a black stone that made up most of the cavern floor.

“Quite a sight, ain’t it?” Gull asked as Mira took note of his jumpship, resting on a small stone mesa below. He was setting up a portable floodlamp near his ship, switching it on and shining a beam of light on the roof of the cavern. The light from the lamp gradually lit the entire cavern with a dim glow as it bounced from one crystal surface to another. “The Hunters call this place the Crystal Grotto.”

“It’s…certainly quite beautiful,” Mira admitted as she spotted signs of Vex construction below, half buried in the floor but providing a large enough circular platform for her ship to land on. “Certainly not what I expected out of such an overgrown continent…or Venus, in general.”

The Phaeton landed as Mira was teleported out of her ship, coming to rest on the edge of the Vex construction, near a small stream of radiolarian fluid. She glanced up as Gull leapt down to join her on the cavern floor. “Eh, it’s not my scene, but…it’s got its appeal.”

Mira’s next thought was cut off by the sound of metal grinding against stone from above. The sound made the Warlock wince in pain as she glanced up at the tunnel entrance, sparks lighting up the darkness every time the Titan’s ship scraped the cavern wall. Copperhead could be heard cursing over the Fireteam frequency with each audible grind of stone against steel.

After a few seconds, Beta’s jumpship emerged from the tunnel with a lurch, barely stopping in time before it flew into the other side of the cavern. Gradually, the ship came down on the only space left large enough for it to land; an uneven bed of black rocks and fractured Vex construction.

Landing with a thud, the bronze Ghost could be heard muttering and cursing to itself as he and his Guardian left the ship and began walking towards the other two Guardians.

“I am _not_ doing that every time we need a pickup!” the bronze Ghost growled. “There has got to be an easier way to get that bucket of bolts in here.”

There was a nudge at Mira’s side as she noticed Lumiere staring at something above. Her eyes followed his beam of light up the antechamber of the cavern, where they landed on an amusing sight. “What about going through there?” she asked after smacking her lips together.

Everyone’s attention was drawn upwards to a large opening in the roof of the cave where flashes of lightning shone off the jagged crystal surfaces around it. “There’s a hole in the roof,” Copperhead stated, turning to glare at the Hunter. “You made us squeeze through a tunnel when there was a _hole in the roof_?!”

Gull shrugged in response. “It’s not like I’ve been here before.”

The Ghost continued to glare daggers into Gull for a second before turning to his Guardian. “Beta, put on a mean face and point your finger at Gull, would ya?” the Exo did as instructed, frowning as he held out an arm at the Gunslinger. “ _You_ owe us a new coat of paint when we get back to The City – and it’s gonna be real gold paint!”

“Uh huh, sure,” Gull replied dismissively, his eyebrows bobbing up and down sardonically. “Now would you mind getting ahead with off-loading our gear? We’ve got a lot to do.”

“No problem, Gull!” Beta cheered as he ran back towards his ship.

“H-Hang on! How come we’re stuck with the heavy-lifting?” Copperhead argued.

“Because I don’t see Beta contributing at all in the planning department.” Mira shot back plainly.

The Ghost’s red eye turned to Gull, who simply shrugged his shoulders and gave him a sympathetic tilt of the head. “I mean, she’s got a point.”

“…Ya’ll are jackasses, you know that?” Copperhead sneered as he turned to follow after his Guardian. “We’ve got as much say as any of you.”

“Yes well, feel free to join in when you’re done.” The Warlock hollered with one hand to her mouth.

“Up your's!” Copperhead called back, to which Mira only rolled her eyes in irritation.

“Lumiere, do you mind helping them unload the cargo from the ship?” she asked her Ghost.

“Certainly.” He replied curtly before vanishing as he sent himself back to the _Laughing Behind Your Back_.

Turning to Gull, the Hunter shared a brief look with his Ghost before waving at it. “You’d better go help out, too.”

“Don’t wait up on my account.” The Ghost replied before disappearing in a similar manner.

“This place is really cool!” Beta hollered from his ship, stopping to hear his voice echo about the cavern.

“Well, when you get about as much as we do, you tend to come across one or two really cool places the universe seemed to have forgotten,” Gull replied over the Fireteam frequency as he turned and walked over to a deeper pocket in the cavern. “’Sides, if you gotta live, might as well do it in style.”

“Don’t tell me the Hunters are hoarding all the valuable, strategic locations to themselves.” Mira asked as she crossed her arms in frustration.

“Hoarding’s the wrong word. That implies we’re working together to keep hideouts from the other classes,” the Gunslinger shot back as he switched on a small light built into his vest, shining it down on an old power generator. “We can barely share ammo, let alone undisclosed locations.”

“Huh. Merry bunch, aren’t you?” Mira said sarcastically, rolling her eyes as she walked over to Gull. A moment of tinkering – and a handful of Glimmer – later, the Hunter managed to start the generator; its ancient motor whirring to life as a string of lights within the small cave lit up.

“Oh, don’t pretend like you’re any different,” in response, the Warlock huffed in indignation as she watched Gull stalk around the few things scattered about the cave. A folding table, a few upturned chairs and several open crates were the only indication that the cave had seen any use in the past. “Doesn’t seem like the previous tenants left a lot for us to use.” He mumbled as he peered into one of the empty crates.

“Were you expecting supplies to be lying about the place? You were the one who wouldn’t stop bugging me about packing the essentials.”

“You never _expect_ when it comes to these sorts of things. Rule number four of Hunter Survival: _always_ check for leftover supplies.” Gull explained as he tipped over one of the crates with his boot.

“Nothing.” Mira noted.

Gull shrugged. “Well, we only stand to gain from being thorough.”

“Alright, enough with the lesson. Can we get this underway?” Mira asked, impatiently tapping her foot.

With an irritated sigh, Gull righted one of the chairs and sat at the table, one elbow resting on the table to prop up his head. “We can use the Grotto to store our supplies, but we’re gonna be on the move a lot, so we travel light – stow away the excess and anything too big or not worth carrying about with us.”

“Reasonable,” Mira agreed. “I’ll need to bring along quite a bit of equipment in phase to help us trace the signal, can I count on you and Beta to carry our essentials?”

“Sure,” Reaching into one of his belt pouches, Gull withdrew a metal canteen and took a sip from it. “So, where to first?”

“I was hoping you could tell me that,” Mira replied. “My first plan to track down the signal’s origin point was to start gathering information from the Vex – see if they’ve encountered it again somewhere.”

“Well, we got plenty of those in the area.”

“Doubtful I’ll be able to pull the intel I need off any Vex Goblin or Minotaur. What we need is a Vex stronghold – somewhere they’ve got a strong footing and likely pass a lot of data through.”

Gull turned away to think for a moment before snapping his fingers. “I think I know a place.”

Holding his hand out to the table, Gull used his wristlink to transmat in an old fabric-bound book. He quickly flipped through several chapters until coming to a point about a quarter into the book, slowing down enough to scan through each page.

Curious, Mira inched around the table to peer over Gull’s shoulder. After a second of reading the gibberish and shorthand on the pages, the Hunter noticed her and held his hands over the book. “No peeking.”

Mira scoffed, rolling her eyes. “I don’t understand why you won’t let me read that thing…or at least give me a copy.”

“Because it’s a Hunter’s journal,” Gull replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “And last I checked, you’re not a Hunter.”

The Awoken crossed her arms. “All I’m saying is that I’d feel a lot safer if you weren’t the only one interpreting our only written account of this region.”

“You’re forgetting who the cartographer is here.” Gull replied with a chuckle.

“What if something were to happen to you – or the book?” Mira asked. “I’d--… _we’d_ lose the only reliable map of this region and the mission could take months – perhaps _years_ – longer to complete.”

“Then you better make sure nothing happens to either-- now could you _please_ not stand so close?” Gull snapped his head around with an irritated look. “You’re blocking the light.”

Huffing in irritation, Mira took a few steps back to stand adjacent to the Hunter. A few more seconds passed as Gull skimmed the pages before finally stopping on a page adorned with a sketch of a Vex Hydra on one side.

“There’s a place not too far from here Eris called ‘The Chiselled Slopes’. According to this journal it’s some kind of Vex mining site or quarry,” Gull explained, using his wrist interface to project a map of the region onto the table. “The area’s apparently massive, but the Vex on the surface only appear a few at a time – most others are either scattered about the site’s lower levels or deep underground.”

“How long would it take us to get there?”

After punching in a set of coordinates into his wristlink, a trail of dots began to appear on the holographic map, starting at their position and travelling along the mountainous terrain. “A day, maybe. Day and a half, at most.”

“Well, we won’t exactly know what we’re looking for until we find it,” Mira thought aloud, considering her options. “Alright; we’ll make for there first thing in the-” she paused. “ _Morning_? Umm…eight hours from now?”

“Yeah, let’s just stay synced to City-time. It’s easy to lose track of time in a place that’s night for half the year.”

“Well, let’s still keep our eyes open for anything else of note along the way,” she added. “I’d rather not have to trek through a sprawling dark jungle for a day just because we overlooked a nearby Vex Tower or something.”

Gull scoffed. “Lazy.”

“Excuse me, I’m _efficient_ ,” Mira shot back. “Besides, as much as I love Venus, I’d rather we not stay here any longer than we have to.”

“Eager to face the Vanguard, are we?” Gull asked, receiving no reply from Mira. “Fine. We’ll need to sort out what we’re gonna bring with us, along with-”

A crash from outside drew the attention of the two Guardians, followed by a clatter of several metallic objects rolling off one another against the hard stone. Mira’s face winced as a second crash of heavy crates could be heard.

“Let’s just start by making sure Beta doesn’t destroy all of my research gear.” The Warlock sighed as she made to leave the cave.

_This is going to be a long expedition._


	10. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fireteam Roman sets out across the Darklands of Venus in search of Mira's elusive treasure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I could probably go on for a number of reasons why this chapter's been taking so long. School, life, having my main writing instrument sent into the shop, but I figured I'd rather not waste your time with that.
> 
> Instead, I'll offer two things. A promise to have more out soon, and a bonus addition to a new series set in the same timeline (most of the time) to Fireteam Roman called 'The Fates of All', an anthology series based on a number of writing prompts offered by my small circle of fan writers and artists.
> 
> It should be up by the time you're reading this, so go ahead and check that out if you wish. It won't be necessary to understand the plot of this or other Fireteam Roman stories, but it might open up future stories based on new characters I'll be introducing through it.

**Darklands, Aphrodite Highlands, Venus…**

Roughly nine Earth hours passed before the three Guardians set out into the dark jungles beyond their save haven. With packs, pockets and immaterial inventory full of survival gear, the Fireteam set out on foot – exiting out the hidden staircase carved into the side of the grotto.

Upon stepping out of their temporary hideout, Mira was quickly struck by the familiar – yet vastly strange – environment around them. From the relative safety of her jumpship, Mira hadn’t been able to properly take in the details of her surroundings.

Now though, with the damp dirt under her boots and surrounded by acres of alien flora, the Sunsinger was perceiving the Darklands with all of her senses.

The trees that grew on this side of the planet were nothing like the ones she was familiar with in the Ishtar Sink. Only a large, tall tree in the distance bore any resemblance to the Cytherean giants that rose out of the jungles surrounding the Collective. And even then, the ones here were noticeably darker – with thick, narrower leaves.

_At least from a surface-level observation,_ Mira thought as she squinted to see clearer, turning the scope on her scout rifle to its highest setting to peer at it through the night. _Darn, if only I could get a closer look._

“How tall would you say that tree on the horizon is?” she asked, directing the questions to the Guardians at her back.

“I don’t know…maybe two…three-hundred and fifty metres?” Gull replied without any sort of confidence.

“Close, but I’d narrow it down more to a two-thirty to three-forty range.” Copperhead replied.

“Is a tall tree.” Beta added helpfully.

“What say we get a closer look?” Mira asked on an impulse, already calculating how long it would take them to reach the towering trees in the distance based on the Ghost’s estimates.

“Uh, that’s opposite to where we need to go,” Gull stated, already sounding annoyed with whatever idea the Warlock had. “We can’t afford to waste time and supplies backtracking.”

“Oh, come on! A lone emergent tree out in the middle of nowhere surrounded only by understory-level flora? That’s just begging to be investigated!”

“There’s plenty of trees where we’re going.” Gull hollered back as he hopped off the edge of the cliff, freefalling towards the ground below. After a second and a half, Mira heard a distant burst of Light indicating that Gull had used his second jump.

With a frustrated sigh, Mira turned her back to the giant tree and traipsed over to the side of the cliff. Peering down through the thin covering of needle-like leaves below, she spotted the Hunter by the light of his helmet standing at the foot of the cliff.

“See? Plenty of trees down here-” Gull declared while kicking the trunk of a slim, Aceraceaen tree. “Now can we get going?”

“Be glad there wasn’t a sandpit down there,” Mira quipped nonchalantly as her Ghost appeared to display a digital layout of their travel path while she still had a decent view of the lowland. “I would’ve let you drown.”

“Sandpit?!” Beta gasped excitedly. “I wanna play in the sand!” the Exo declared before leaping off the cliff with a drawn out ‘Wheeeee!’ and hitting the ground at full speed a couple seconds later.

“Is he…ok?” Lumiere asked hesitantly after a moment.

“He’s fine,” Gull responded as he bent down to help the Titan up. “C’mon Mira, your turn.”

“Just a minute,” she shot back as she used her built-in HUD to generate a rough map of the area. “I think I see a river about three klicks north-west of here. If your coordinates are right, we’ll have to pass beyond the mountain ridge to the north.”

“So? What’s the issue?”

“The issue is that I’d rather not waste time and energy scaling sheer cliffs like a mountain bison. The river seems to flow down from the mountain,” she keyed in a few commands to generate the length of the river on her map. “If we follow the river, it could lead us through a pass in the mountain.”

“Or we might come up on a waterfall and have to scale the mountain anyway.”

The Warlock scoffed. “You say that like it’s a definite,” stepping off the edge of the cliff, Mira glided down to land gracefully in front of her Fireteam. “Either way, I’d rather take the chance than immediately resign ourselves to an uphill hike.”

“It’s your mission,” Gull said, splaying his arms out in an exaggerated shrug. “You go, we’ll follow.”

“Good.” She chirped before gesturing forwards with her rifle. “The river’s this way.”

Together, the three Guardians set on down the dirt path before them, seemingly naturally eroded between the thin, desiccated-looking trees. Their journey was peaceful, but not without its own nature-gifted perils – which Beta found out the hard way.

While Mira kept her steps light and Gull treaded close to the trees, the Titan marched down the centre of the path. After a few moments of passing nothing but foliage, Beta suddenly yelped in surprise before crying out in distress. The two other Guardians immediately began scanning the darkness for any sort of threat, only realising as their lights landed on the Exo what the problem was.

It was then that the Sunsinger realised that the ground seemed unusually soft where they walked, not realising _how soft_ until it crumbled beneath the Titan’s heavy footsteps. The earth beneath them, it seemed, had been hollowed out by the erosion, which was how Beta found one of his legs stuck hip-deep in the ground.

“Ah! Guys – the ground’s trying to eat me!” he yelled for help.

“Calm down, Beta,” Gull warned as he walked along the roots of the trees to get to the Exo. “You might sink deeper if you struggle too much.”

After making sure the ground beneath him would not cave, Gull hoisted Beta up by his arms. The Exo clung to Gull fearfully, whimpering as the Human strained to drag him up onto a large root that could support the Titan’s weight.

As this was going on, Mira padded her way over to a dip in the path ahead and gave it an experimental stomp with the heel of her boot. The ground gave way easily, revealing a hidden ditch deep enough for the Warlock to fit halfway in. Suddenly overcome by fear of getting stuck in the ground, Mira quickly backpedalled towards the nearest strange tree – where the ground was more compact.

From then on, the Fireteam agreed to avoid any conveniently eroded dirt paths.

* * *

It took an hour before they arrived at the river she had seen.

Curious, the Warlock took a sample of the river water with a chemical analyser as the rest of her Fireteam searched the area. Taking a seat by the edge of the river, Mira waited a few seconds as the device did its job.

She read its readings once, then again, then a third time as her brows scrunched up in confusion.

“Still no signs of enemy activity…or, much of anything,” Gull reported as he returned. “What is it?”

“Take a look at the river flow – tell me what you see.” She said instead.

Confused, Gull beckoned his Ghost to shine a light down on the shallow water by the edge of the shore.

“It’s…yellow.”

“Be more specific,” Mira chided, rolling her eyes. “Tell me what you _see_.”

“Alright, alright. It’s…kinda dirty-looking, likely a result of loose sediment,” the Gunslinger noted. “It also seems…almost translucent. If the flow was more still, I bet I could see the bottom.”

“Believe it or not, the water in the river is actually thirty-percent…well, water,” Mira’s toned jumped with amusement. “And not like the orange-y, sulfuric mixture out at sea, but actual dihydrogen monoxide.”

“That’s…not normal, is it?”

“Not for Venus, it isn’t. This must mean that the river actually begins as normal water, which gets tainted as it flows through the land,” Mira thought aloud. “Or perhaps there’s something in the ground that acts as a purifying agent,” she hummed thoughtfully, shrugging dismissively as she stowed her analyser away. “Almost drinkable if it weren’t for the high mercury content.”

She glanced at Gull as she said this, raising a hand to suppress a chuckle at what she saw. Kneeling by the river, the Hunter had an empty flask in his hand, seconds away from dipping it in the river when he shot back to his feet with a frustrated growl. “You only thought to mention that _last_?”

“I can’t believe you were _actually_ going to drink that.” Mira stated mockingly.

“Kid, I’ve had to drink a lot worse to keep going. Thirty-percent purity is nothing.”

“Don’t call me ‘Kid’,” Mira shot back. “And while you may be content with stomaching bacteria-riddled scum-saturated water, I’m not. That’s what these are for.” She held out her hand as a palm-sized dispenser full of water purifying tablets appeared, waving it before the Gunslinger.

“Yeah? And how long do you think those will last?” he asked grimly. Not expecting such a straightforward comeback, Mira was suddenly stunned still. “Chlorine and alkaline tablets are great for a time, but let’s see how well you do once those run out.” he said while walking past her.

Though she tried to seem unfazed by Gull’s warning, the Warlock couldn’t help but linger on the tablet dispenser in her hand, suddenly wondering if they had always been this light. Her thoughts drifted to the weeks of searching they had left, calculating in her mind how much water she would have to ration to make the tablets last.

Shaking her head, Mira quickly washed away her worry with a flush of annoyance and anger, transmatting the dispenser away.

_He’s just trying to get into your head – just like last time_ , Mira thought to herself as she jogged to keep up with her companions through the bends in the uphill river.

* * *

“Y’know, I’m pretty surprised that we haven’t run into any Fallen or Vex yet.” Lumiere noted as the three Guardians reached a sudden rise in the path.

“Well, this territory doesn’t seem to belong to either race,” Gull’s Ghost commented. “Their forces are probably concentrated on different parts of the continent.”

“Yeah, but I mean – no scouts, no drones, no long-range sensors? It’s like this part of the region’s completely untouched.”

“Eh, I say we enjoy the peace and quiet while we have it,” This time it was Copperhead who spoke with a grim tone. “Not gonna be much of that where we’re headed.”

“Glad to see you’re as pragmatic as ever.” Lumiere stated sarcastically.

“You say pragmatic, I say ‘on perpetual alert’!”

“Come on, we’re going where no Ghost has been before – lighten up.”

“Oh, I’ll lighten up alright. Once we get back to the City and we don’t have to constantly look over our shoulders for baddies.”

“He’s right. Who knows what new dangers and threats this region’s hiding. Best to stay alert until we’re back in the light.” The Hunter’s Ghost added.

Lumiere rolled his one eye. “Why did I ever miss hanging out with you two?”

* * *

The atmosphere between the three Guardians was tense when they finally stopped to make camp.

They managed to travel for another two hour – the ground sloping at an increasingly difficult incline – before deciding to stop and rest for a few hours. Travelling in near-complete darkness meant moving a lot slower; each step had to be measured to ensure they didn’t make a wrong move and the environment had to be swept constantly.

The only reprieve from the pitch-black jungle around them were strange, small bio-luminescent fungi that grew on damp soil, the occasional Spirit Bloom, and distant flashes of lightning overhead.

Though they had only come across a few harmless insects and reptiles native to this part of Venus so far, everyone agreed to set up camp at a vantage point along the path giving them clear sight over the area they had just passed through. With equipment assembled and rations distributed, Gull was the first to insist that he take first watch.

“You focus on doing your calibrations, or scans, or whatever,” the Gunslinger grumbled bitterly, hoisting a sniper rifle over his shoulder. “I’ll focus on making sure we make it through the night.”

Mira saw no reason to argue, so she didn’t. However, as she tuned her portable receivers to record any passing transmissions, the Warlock couldn’t help but glance at the Hunter – perched on a nearby boulder overlooking the valley. A lot had been left unsaid since the Fireteam had their unorthodox reunion, and neither Mira nor Lumiere knew when it would be a good time to clear the air.

So, Mira did the only thing she was certain of in these situations and lost herself in field research. She set up all the necessary scanning equipment around their campsite, triple-checked the calibrations and programmed them to update her every three minutes. After very, _very_ briefly explaining to Beta what he and his Ghost were allowed to touch, Mira set out with an armful of signal spikes, assembled with the Titan’s help.

_I suppose his clunky hands can be good for more than just demolishing aliens after all,_ Mira conceded as she paced out a perimeter around their camp to set up the spikes.

Lumiere let his jubilation at her thoughts be known through their connection as she planted each spike in the ground and tuned them by hand to catch a specific frequency.

“The range on these spikes isn’t great,” Lumiere pointed out as she worked. “What if we can’t pick up their transmissions once we get too far?”

“They have internal datastores for that,” she huffed, patting her hands off once she was finished with the last spike. “We just need to be sure to come back this way to retrieve them…assuming we don’t find what we’re looking for at The Slopes.” The Warlock reasoned.

“You don’t sound very confident.”

“Well, it’s best we stay prepared. The odds aren’t exactly in our favour at the moment.” She remarked as she made the trek back to camp.

A couple hours passed with Mira checking her data readings every ten minutes, splitting her attention between it and the chemical tests she was running on some soil samples. Growing bored of that quickly, she decided to approach the Hunter. She moved slowly, but not so quietly as to sneak up on him as she reached his rock.

“Nothing new so far,” she reported while leaning against the side of the stone, knowing the question was on his mind. “You’ve been at this for a while, though, would you like to swap out?”

“I’ve got things covered. Go get some more rest.” Gull replied, without turning away from the scope of his rifle.

“You sure?” Mira asked sceptically. “Because you’ve been up here for nearly three hours now?”

“I…three hours already?” that got a surprised reaction out of the Gunslinger, at least. “And you haven’t found anything new yet?”

Mira frowned at the slight accusation to the Hunter’s tone. “I didn’t say this would be easy. We’re making steady progress, just like with any other field expedition. And just like everything else it’s best not to rush things.”

“Yeah, I get it. Just not used to sitting around waiting for the discovery to fly into my lap,” Gull replied as he folded up his sniper rifle and hopped off the rock. Mira made to take his place once he was packed up, but just as she was settling in, Gull called out a question from behind.

“Tell me honestly, Mira: what do you think we’ll find at the other end of this signal thing?”

She thought about the question for a second before speaking. “With any luck, a bunker full of Golden Age tech, weapons and information. Hopefully enough to justify my discovery to the Consensus. The Vanguard may not agree with my methods, but they’ll be hard-pressed to refute my results if every other City faction’s issuing my pardon.”

“Right,” Gull muttered half-heartedly. “What if it’s not?” Mira turned to look at him sharply at that. “What if…what if we follow this trail all the way to the end and it’s not what you hoped for? What if it turns out the source is some old, malfunctioning computer that’s been rotting in the sulphur air for decades?”

“Unlikely,” The possibility had crossed the Warlock’s mind before, but all evidence suggested that the signal was being sent out on purpose, not due to a malfunction. “But in the event the location is compromised, most Golden Age bunkers have a vault where important supplies and databanks are stored. You’d need to hit these vaults _really_ hard for them to be compromised.”

“Then what if nothing’s there?”

“It’s not nothing!” she snapped back, barely fazing the Hunter as she composed herself. “It can’t be nothing. That signal revealed itself to me for a reason – something _wants_ me to find it.”

“Mira, I’ve been in this game for a long time,” Gull stated solemnly. “Sometimes-- sometimes things just happen because they can. There isn’t always a reason behind why everything’s the way it is.”

“It might be hard for you to believe, but everything _always_ happens for a reason – especially when _we’re_ concerned.” _Especially when Guardians are concerned_.

Gull paused to consider the Warlock’s words for a moment before nodding solemnly, understanding her unspoken meaning. “I hope you’re right.”

As the Hunter walked back towards their camp, Mira huffed out an exasperated breath. The Awoken sat herself down in Gull’s place and dimmed the electrical lamp at her side as her eyes – which were naturally better at seeing in the dark than Humans – roamed the surrounding night. “It can’t be nothing…” she murmured to herself, unsure of who she was trying to convince at this point.

“I believe you, Mira,” her Ghost said, floating up to her side. “But I’m not the one you need to convince.”

“Right, because it’s your job to believe in me.” Mira said sarcastically with a roll of her eyes.

“I’m just offering advice. You don’t need to be snappy about it.” Lumiere chided.

“What I _need_ is a serious lead to work off, and for them-” she tilted her chin in the direction of the camp. “To just do what I say.”

“You know it doesn’t work like that. They’re not your soldiers, they’re your teammates – and they want to help you just as much as I do.”

“What good will that do if I can’t make them listen to me?”

“I don’t think it’s about _making_ them listen to you.”

“Well how else am I supposed to get them to cooperate every time we’re out?” she asked rhetorically with a sigh. “Face it, we’re just not compatible as a Fireteam.”

“We both know that’s an excuse.”

“Is it, Lumiere? You were fine with just ‘Ghost’ before we met them. The only reason I even gave you a name-”

“Was to set me apart from Gull’s Ghost – I know.” The Spark replied bitterly before turning away sharply.

Mira sighed, knowing she had touched a nerve with the Ghost but not knowing how to remedy it. She knew she was just taking her frustrations out on the poor guy at this point, and it had barely been two days since they arrived. Words gave her power, and if she couldn’t even come up with the right ones to start mending the rift driven between her and the others, how did she hope to lead them.

“I’m going back to camp,” Lumiere announced after a beat of silence, drifting off in the direction Gull went. “I’ll let you know if the scanners pick up anything.”

Mira meant to say something in reply, but her mouth wouldn’t open in fear of upsetting Lumiere further. Instead, she continued to stare through her binoculars at a grove in the distance; where Spirit Blooms danced about in the dark. Lightning crackled overhead in the distance a moment later, startling Mira out of her focus to watch the dark sky light up and the dark, heavy clouds to glow a faint pink.

“I _really_ hope it doesn’t start raining.” She thought aloud with a shudder.


	11. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Fireteam Roman decides on how best to cross the mountain range between them and their destination, Mira finds time to learn a few things about herself and the Hunter she is so often at odds with.

**Ridges of Eirene, Aphrodite Region, Venus…**

“Mira…”

“Shhh!”

“ _Mira_ …”

“I said, _hush_.”

“We’re going nowhere, Mira.”

“Would you just shut up already?!” the Warlock snapped as she spun around to meet the bronze Ghost’s gaze. “You’re not even looking for a way up this mountain, are you?”

“No, because there was a perfectly good path for us to scale about a kilometre back! Everything else we’ve come across has been sheer cliffs and straight drops!” Copperhead argued back.

“Not without using the climbing gear.”

“That’s why we _brought_ the climbing gear!” Copperhead snapped.

After following the river uphill for another hour and a half, the Fireteam eventually happened upon its source; a lumpy slope of smooth rocks, depositing the flow of water in what could barely be described as a waterfall. Though the incline of the slope allowed for safe enough hiking – and the jutting rocks made for decent handholds – the three Ghosts had agreed that the most viable path up the mountain was still too steep or narrow to risk a free-climb.

As such, Mira had elected that they keep searching for another way up.

“We can’t be wasting limited resources this early into the expedition!” she defended. “What if we need it for something else?”

“We brought _two-hundred metres_ worth of climbing gear. A twenty-something metre climb-”

“Thirty-something.” Lumiere corrected.

“Yeah, whatever-- it’s not gonna matter! We’ll still have leftover cable and plenty of sticks.”

“We need to be prepared for the unexpected. You have no way of knowing when we might need every last centimetre of that equipment down the road.” Mira accused.

“Then we’ll solve it when we get to it!”

Another retort was on the tip of Mira’s lips when she was startled silent by a resounding gunshot. Both Mira and Copperhead were suddenly on alert as they glanced about the dark for any sight of their shooter, while Beta yelped in surprise and threw a punch in the direction of the sound.

The clunk of metal hitting metal was immediately followed by a familiar grunt of pain as Gull was knocked to the ground by the Titan’s fist. The pieces quickly fell into place in Mira’s mind as she turned towards the Hunter, who was still holding the smoking hand cannon. “Seriously, Beta?! A right hook?” he groaned, raising one hand to rub his collarbone.

“Sorry. Thought you were a bad guy.” Beta apologized.

“Was that _really_ necessary?!” Mira exclaimed, placing a hand over her chest to feel her heartbeat settle as the shock gradually ebbed out of her. “You scared the devil out of me.”

“We weren’t getting anywhere with your constant arguing,” he said with a groan of pain as he holstered his weapon. “I had to do _something_ to break you two up.”

“By firing a gun and scaring the shit out of us?” Copperhead asked in a mix of anger and shock. “You know what? Good job, Beta. He deserved that punch.”

“Can’t say it wasn’t effective.” He grumbled while pushing himself to his feet and rolling his head to snap something back in place.

“Yeah, at letting the whole forest know we’re here.” Mira snorted sarcastically.

“Do you seriously want to do this _all day_?” Gull barked irritably, throwing his arms out on either side.

Bringing a hand up to rub the frustration out of her cheeks, Mira sighed into her palm, reluctantly agreeing with the Hunter’s sense of urgency. Running the hand down her face, she fixed the Titan’s Ghost with a firm look. “Look, I understand what you’re trying to do, but I’m thinking about the long-term life of our supplies. If there’s another path over the mountain two kilometres down that way, I’d gladly take it.”

“Well we wouldn’t.” Copperhead replied defiantly.

“We wouldn’t?” Beta asked the Ghost.

“No-- we wouldn’t!”

“Tough. I won’t allow us to waste supplies making shortcuts when we haven’t weighed up all our options yet.” The Warlock was vehement about her decision, folding her arms stubbornly.

Just as it seemed like the Ghost was about to go at it again, Beta raised his hand and spoke. “Uh, do we have to look with you?”

“Excuse me?” Mira asked incredulously and confused.

“Well we don’t know what’s that way,” the Titan indicated the direction they were heading. “But we do know a way this way,” he continued, thumbing over his shoulder. “So, if me and Gull go back that way while you go that way to have a look-see, we’ll at least have one way up the mountain.”

Mira took a few seconds longer than usual to process what Beta just said, staring at the Exo like he had just grown a second head. “Wait, did you actually…just suggest Mira and I go scout ahead?” Lumiere asked, beating her to the punch.

“Yeah, that thing. If you find something, we’ll come to you. If you don’t find anything, you can just rewind your steps until you find us and we’ll climb this bad boy the Copperhead way.”

For a moment, everything was silent before Mira cocked her head towards Gull as he stammered. “A-am I’m the only one who thought that actually made sense.”

“If you are, we’re either collectively going mad, or Beta just had a decent idea.” Mira responded in a breathy, bewildered tone.

“Wow Beta, that was…that was pretty clever. I think you’ve earned a treat.” Copperhead said in a mix of astonishment and pride.

“Yay! Treats!” Beta cheered, throwing his hands in the air.

“Alright then,” she said, straightening her posture in what she hoped was a dignified manner. “I’ll scout ahead another two or three kilometres and call in if I find anything.”

Gull hesitated to turn and leave. “You sure you’ll be ok by yourself?” he asked warily.

“I’ve spent more time on Venus than any other planet in the system. I’m sure I can handle a short walk on my own.” Mira’s response was curt, but perhaps a bit snappier than she intended.

“Great. Yell if you run into anything taller than seven feet with sharp teeth.” Gull said with a wave as he turned to head back the way they came.

“Hilarious.” Mira responded, rolling her eyes.

“Now, which way did we come from?” Copperhead asked no one in particular as he darted about his Guardian, the Ghost’s voice getting more distant the further they travelled into the darkness.

Momentarily satisfied, the Sunsinger turned to continue following the base of the mountain range. Her eyes searched the dark relentlessly for a good place to start a climbing path. She made it about ten seconds before thinking it best to remind Gull to conserve their limited camping supplies.

The Awoken spun around to address the Gunslinger, only to stop short when she realised she couldn’t see either Guardian - only the mossy mound of rock and dirt where they stood a moment ago. “Where’d they go?” she asked her Ghost.

“We’re still here, Vuul.” Gull replied over the comm link. Still searching the dark jungle around her, Mira couldn’t find any trace of the Guardians despite her naturally enhanced sight. “I told you; it’s easy to lose track of things in the dark.” Gull continued, as if he could read the Warlock’s thoughts.

“Lumiere, ping their IFF’s on my HUD,” she whispered to her Ghost off the Fireteam’s frequency. A second later, two distant waypoint markers appeared in her vision. “How’d you two get so far already?” she asked, genuinely surprised when she reconnected to the Fireteam’s telemetry.

“I memorised the path back to the waterfall. What distance we covered fumbling about in the dark for an hour, I can backtrack in less than half that time. It’s just a matter of guiding Beta and telling him to _stay close to me_ ,” he explained, raising his voice at the Exo for effect.

“Handy. I’ll keep that in mind.”

“You had something to say?”

“…Nothing. Just keep in radio contact.”

“Copy that.” Gull replied before going silent once more. It was only then did Mira realise how alone she was in the seemingly endless night of Venus.

Nervously, she reached into a pouch at her side and brought out a small metal sphere, activating it with the push of a button on its surface. “Lumiere, take the drone and take a surface scan of the area – keep it within a ten-metre radius to me.”

“On it.” The Ghost responded as she tossed the sphere into the air, blinking blue and red as it hovered above her. It darted off into the silent dark and stopped just at the edge of her perception.

With her Ghost also scanning the area around them, Mira continued to follow the base of The Ridges, looking for signs of a mountain pass they could more easily traverse. As she went, the absence of her Fireteam members became increasingly noticeable; the usually undesired sounds of their footsteps and idle banter replaced by the silence of the night.

After passing several yards worth of sheer cliff, Mira eventually came across a promising sight: a gravel slope that went up for several metres, seemingly formed from a collapse in the mountain. When the Warlock tried to climb it, however, she found the gravel to be loose and slippery under her boots. Giving it a few experimental strikes with her heel, she also found the surface poor grounding to drive any cable poles into the mountainside.

The Awoken was about to let out a huff of dismay when the shell of her right ear burned like a live wire. Suddenly on alert, Mira spun around on the spot – eyes wide, one hand raised to deliver a blast of magic – only to find nothing behind her.

Though it was brief, the feeling Mira experienced had been unmistakable; the presence of another being – triggering her innate sense for danger as it came within an inch of touching her. It was the same cold burn that warned her of unseen threats both on the battlefield and the Crucible that touched her ear just a second ago.

“Lumiere, what was that?” she asked frantically.

“What was what?” the Ghost asked back.

“Something just moved behind me,” she blurted out in a panic as she drew her Scout Rifle, swinging it back and forth in the dark. “It was close.”

“Nothing showed up on the radar, Mira,” Lumiere answered calmly. “And the drone didn’t pick anything up, either.”

“Lumiere, I swear-- I just felt something-”

“Mira, take a breath. Your heart rate’s spiking,” the Ghost continued, trying to calm the Warlock. “There’s nothing there, I promise. Just breathe.”

Mira did as the Ghost asked, taking several deep breaths without lowering her guard, her peripheral vision locked on her radar display. Just like Lumiere said, her suit’s sensors showed that they were alone in the jungle for about seven metres in all directions.

“I don’t get it,” the Sunsinger murmured to herself while lowering her weapon. _It felt like it was right next to me, but if there’s nothing, then…_ A new concern came to Mira’s mind as her head whipped to her Ghost. “Lumiere, scan my vitals for contamination or poisoning.”

The Ghost appeared before the Warlock, passing a scanning ray over her body a couple times before blinking out. “I’m not detecting any harmful substances in your body, and there’s no breach in your suit.”

The answer did nothing to alleviate Mira’s worries as she stared at the Ghost. “Then what did I just feel?”

“It’s probably just the stress playing tricks on your mind,” Lumiere answered neutrally. “Look, your heart rate’s returning to normal, maybe we should just go back and-”

“No!” Mira replied immediately, despite the look of doubt the Spark gave her. “No, I was just…look, I’m fine now and we still have more ground to cover. We’ll go back once I’m satisfied.”

She heard a resigned sigh in her head as she turned to continue down their path. “Alright, if you insist.”

Mira did, and together they travelled for another few minutes, climbing down a short craig covered in creeping vines and jumping across a deep chasm in their path. It was only when the Warlock felt something hit her shoulder did she stop a second time.

“Alright, this time I _know_ I felt something,” She exclaimed, rifle in hand as she searched the darkness. A second later, something else hit the top of her hood; a clear liquid substance that ran down the helmet's visor. Raising a hand to her face, Mira swept the droplet up in her palm. “Ghost, what is this?”

“Well, judging by its consistency and chemical composition,” Lumiere stated analytically. “It seems to be a drop of-”

The Ghost was interrupted when several dozen more drops began pelting the Warlock, the amount increasing exponentially until a curtain of liquid fell from the sky.

“A drop of rain.” The Ghost finished as Mira sighed, a breath of both frustration and relief as she shielded her visor with a hand.

“Alright,” Mira said, sighing despondently. “Let’s go back.”

* * *

“Where’s Beta?” Mira shouted to be heard over the downpour as she approached the campsite. It was little more than a makeshift awning from some tent struts and a tarp standing over a stack of boxes and some chairs on one side of the stream. It looked like it might collapse any moment, but – to its credit – it still managed to hold up against the pouring rain.

Gull looked up just as Mira darted under the awning to sit next to him. “My Ghost detected a few small fish swimming about downstream a while back. Beta wanted to check them out.”

“And you let him?” Mira asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Copperhead’s keeping an eye on him,” the Hunter shrugged one shoulder. “He’ll bring him back when he gets bored…and he promised me Beta _is_ waterproof.”

“He’d better be,” Mira replied, taking off her helmet before wrapping her arms across her torso with a shiver. A moment passed as she channelled the Light outwards, wreathing herself with Solar Light to warm herself. As she did, her eyes were drawn to the small white lamp that sat at the edge of the awning, barely providing enough illumination to light up the camp. “Not much of a campfire, is it?”

“You try lighting a fire in this rain.” Gull shot back, but it lacked any of its usual bite. He sounded distant – lost in thought, even.

Steam began to waft off the Warlock as she turned to properly appraise the Hunter, noticing that his attention was focused on a small bronze locket in his hand. Inside of it was the faded picture of a young woman. “Who’s that?”

Noticing the Warlock’s gaze on the trinket, Gull snapped it shut before turning to glance at Mira. “My daughter.”

The Awoken’s brows shot up at the statement. “You have a daughter?” her tone of disbelief must have struck a nerve with the Hunter, who shot her a look of annoyance in return. “Sorry, it’s just…well, you never mentioned her.”

“No one asked.” Gull replied in nonchalance.

“Well, family’s not exactly a common topic among Guardians,” Mira shot back, turning to better face him. “Besides, I’m asking now.”

For a long moment, Gull simply gave her a dismissive sidelong glance before sighing and flicking the locket open once more. “Her name’s Zara. Zara Namin.” Hesitantly, Gull offered Mira the locket.

“Namin?” Mira asked as she examined the photo. Though the colours were faded, the image of the tan, raven-haired girl was still sharp. Her hair was woven into a single plait braid as she smiled widely while holding what looked like a sledgehammer over her shoulder.

“No, it’s not my last name,” Gull chuckled in response. “Refugee accounts tend to be unreliable, but most of the other settlers she was with could corroborate the facts.”

The realisation dawned on Mira as she glanced at Gull with a surprised look. “She’s a refugee,” It was an observation, not a question. “Her parents--?”

“Dead,” Gull replied solemnly. “Their caravan was attacked by a Fallen raiding party on their way to The City. She was too young to remember most of the details, but the short of it is Zara got away and they didn’t. She managed to stay alive on practically no food for three and a half days - kept going with the dozen or so survivors left after the attack. They were on their last legs when I caught their distress signal.”

“So, you just…decided to adopt this orphan refugee girl with nothing to her name?” Mira asked.

“You really got some nerve talking about my daughter that way.” The Gunslinger warned.

“I’m just cutting to the chase,” the Sunsinger defended. “There are hundreds of refugee children without parents or guardians coming into the City every year. What makes Zara stand out?”

Gull’s features took on a wistful smirk after a moment of thought. “She built a bomb.”

“Pardon?”

“After locating what was left of the caravan, I acted as their guard the rest of the way to the City,” the Hunter began. “Though there were only a few of them left, keeping the peace between a group of hungry, scared survivors is a lot harder than you’d imagine for a single Guardian. We made do with what supplies I could offer, and I armed them with whatever salvaged gear I could find. On the third day of our little pilgrimage, I saw a small girl stealing a handful of weapon parts from salvage stashes. When I made to take it back and put her under watch, I saw what she was using those parts to build.”

With both hands, Gull cupped them together in the shape of an orb.

“A fuse-wired grenade. Crudely made, but just as dangerous as the real thing. I knew then that there was something special about that girl,” Taking one last look at the picture in the locket, Mira decided to hand it back to Gull as he continued his recounting. “I agreed to show her how to use it, if she agreed not to build any more explosives from junk.”

“And that’s when you swooped in and adopted her.” Mira surmised.

To her surprise, Gull shook his head with a dry chuckle. “Nah, took me two days to come around, and that was _after_ we reached The City. Gotta admit, raising a kid full-time really cramps the regular Hunter’s lifestyle.”

“What made you go back for her?”

“Been a while since anyone’s asked me that,” he chuckled. “I’ll tell you the same thing I told Cayde all those years back; it was this…fire in her soul,” As Gull held the Warlock’s gaze, his eyes turned solemn, proud and…sad. “The thing with the grenade stuck with me. For some reason, I couldn’t get the damn incident outta my mind. And then it…hit me; even though this little, orphan girl was starving, alone and scared outta her mind, she still wanted to fight. She had a fire in her that burned as bright as a round from a Golden Gun.”

“It was her eyes, wasn’t it?” Gull’s Ghost asked.

The Gunslinger snapped his fingers at the Spark. “That it was. She had a look to her; fierce, determined. I saw that same look in many Guardians coming off their first skirmish,” he paused – thinking. “She was curious, too. The whole time we travelled, she asked as many questions as I could afford to answer for her; stuff about the Golden Age, the worlds we used to own, what kind of starships I’ve seen.”

Mira let out a light-hearted huff, able to relate to that. Those were questions she heard a lot of around the new Warlocks and City scholars who came for group lectures.

“Zara was barely six years old when I met her, but I already knew that this girl was going to see the world one day,” Gull continued, resting his head atop steepled knuckles. “When we finally arrived at The City, Refugee Control put Zara in the orphanage and set her up for adoption. I was still in the City when I caught word that she had asked for me. I didn’t know it then but, knowing she actually wanted to see me again was probably what made me opt to take her into my life.”

Mira couldn’t say if she’d ever felt the same way, but she did understand what Gull was telling her. She’d known other Guardians who shared close relations with Tower workers before, some even forming deep connections to City civilians – which, in Mira opinion, was a poor use of everyone’s time. “What happened then?”

“Well,” Gull scratched the scruff along his neck. “I got her a place to stay and hovered about her for the first five years. Got called to return to duty by the Vanguard after that, but I still made time for her when I could. Before I knew it, she was her own woman,” he smiled broadly at the memory. “She turned out alright, despite my less-than-stellar parenting.”

Mira nodded her head, accepting the summary. “So, where’s she now?”

“She’s…” Gull paused, seemingly thinking over the answer. “She gets around.”

Curious, Mira tilted her head and prodded. “Do you not know where she is?”

“Ok, that’s enough of my life,” Gull stopped to take a drink from his canteen before gesturing towards the Sunsinger. “Your turn.”

The Warlock scoffed out a laugh. “What exactly would you have me share with you?”

“Maybe start with happened between you and Amanda Holliday?”

Mira’s blood went cold as she registered what the Hunter just said. As she turned to meet his hard leer, however, the Warlock managed to conceal her fear by tilted her head back in a frustrated groan. “Oh, by the Traveller, she told you?”

“I inquired,” Gull corrected. “I also promised to kick your ass for her, but that depends on how much I like your explanation.”

“Oh, really?” Mira asked, quirking an eyebrow. “And what did she promise you in return?”

“What do you take me for, a merc? I’ll have you know that Amanda was like a big sister to Zara growing up, which makes her like family to me,” Gull’s leer grew deeper as a hand clutched the hilt of his knife. “And I don’t take kindly to people who mess with my family.”

“I…” the Warlock droned as she looked about for anything to steer the conversation in a different direction. Leaning away from the Gunslinger slightly, she spotted a set of lights approaching from downstream, taking a second to realise what it was. “Ah, Beta! You’re back.”

Sure enough, the Titan came within view of the camp lights a couple seconds later. “Hey, guys!” he greeted, waving with one hand while carrying a bundle of long, skinny objects in the other. At first, Mira couldn’t make out what he was holding until he dropped what he was carrying on the ground at their feet. “I caught us dinner!”

Looking down, the Awoken saw a number of dark-brown, speckled creatures resembling eels writhing on the dirt. Tentatively, Gull reached out to pick one up by its tail as Mira continued to stare in muted silence.

Holding it up where his Ghost could shine its light, Mira was offered a better look of the creature, wherein she noticed that it didn’t have any eyes. Likely a result of natural adaptation to the low-light conditions here.

“Thanks, Beta,” Gull mused as he let the eel flop back to the ground. “But I don’t think these are the kind of fish you eat.”

“That may be so,” Mira interjected as she leaned down to pick one of the creature’s up. “But I still have plenty of tests I can run on these little things before we set out again.”

“Hey, Mira-- wait a sec. We’re not done yet.” Gull called out as Mira climbed across him, sending her Ghost out to begin setting up another awning and to transmat her equipment underneath it.

“Good talk, Gull! We should do it again some time.” She called back over her shoulder, careful not to crush the eels wriggling in her hands.

* * *

Several hours had passed when Mira finally ran out of interesting tests to run on the specimens. Biologically speaking, they were just another species of Cytherean eel - nothing especially unique about them.

With a disappointed sigh, Mira collected the remaining tissue samples of the dissected eel and tossed them into the nearby fire. The rain had stopped an hour ago and Gull had managed to get a fire going before collapsing on the wet ground next to it, leaving Mira on watch duty as they took their last rest before crossing the mountain range that would lead them to the Chiselled Slopes.

With her experiments concluded, Lumiere transmatted her things away as she searched for Beta. It was his turn to take watch and the Sunsinger wanted to eat something and catch at least an hour of sleep before they set out.

Arriving at the rock that Beta had claimed for himself, however, the Warlock only found the Titan’s Ghost; lying on the ground in its hibernation mode.

“Beta?” she called out quietly as she shone her hand lamp about their campsite. Seeing no sign of the Exo, Mira summoned her Ghost to ping Beta’s locator as she slipped on her helmet to track him.

Mira was more than a little surprised to find her HUD pinpointing Beta above them – atop the mountain range.

_What in the...how'd he get up there?_

Worried – but mostly annoyed – for her teammate, the Sunsinger quickly gathered up a handful of climbing equipment and made a beeline for the rocky slope near the mountain stream. She stopped and gasped in astonishment when she found a climbing path already set out, made out of cables and metal stakes from the climbing equipment. Sheets of metal and polycarbon were also laid out at various intervals as bridges across short gaps or rough ground.

“When did Beta have time to do _this_?” Mira asked her Ghost as she ran her light up the mountainside, looking on in shock and awe at how far up the trail went.

“Well, Gull _did_ say not to take your eyes off him for too long.” Lumiere commented, running an invisible scan to map the path up the mountain.

“Ok, then how did _you_ miss this happening just a few metres away from us?” she questioned.

“I…wasn’t paying attention?” the Ghost reasoned, Mira rolling her eyes at the excuse as she grabbed hold of the cable and began the climb.

Even with her Glide, the trek up the side of the mountain would have been difficult and dangerous were it not for the various cables, stakes and platforms. Once she got a feel for the general pace of the ascent, Mira was able to cut across several floors of hiking path by gliding from one handrail to the next.

Eventually, the slope of the mountain gave way to a small plateau, which Mira’s hands found just as her last Glide cut out. Hoisting herself up with a grunt, she immediately saw the Titan standing in the middle of the plateau in her initial sweep.

“Beta! Thank the Traveller,” Mira sighed in relief as she dusted herself off and approached Beta. He didn’t say anything in reply immediately, merely staring upwards with a flashlight pointed at the sky. “You had me worried for a moment. What were you thinking, hiking up the mountain by yourself – without your Ghost, no less? You could’ve fallen and died and we’d have to waste time looking…for…your…” her rambling stopped when she realised that the Titan had not once acknowledged Mira’s presence. “Beta? Are you alright?” she asked, waving a hand in front of his face.

The Titan blinked once as he slowly raised a hand to the night sky. “Fairy lights, Mira!” he said wistfully.

“I knew it; he was sleepwalking,” Lumiere thought aloud as he appeared by Beta’s side. “I’ll send a wakeup call to Copperhead. He should only take a few minutes to get up here, then we can-”

“Wait, Lumiere,” Mira interrupted as she looked at the space Beta was pointing to. At first, it seemed just like the same night sky she had been staring at for the past couple of days, with its rolling sulphur-nitrate clouds carrying the faintest residual glow of the sun’s light, but as she squinted to concentrate, she noticed a silhouette moving behind the cloud. “I think I actually see something.”

“Wait, really?” Lumiere asked as he too turned his attention to the sky. After a couple seconds of staring, the Ghost let out a grunt of frustration. “There’s too much interference from the heavy gasses. I can’t-” he paused, and Mira could immediately sense his attention was on something else.

“Wh-”

“Shock drive discharge – close proximity!” the Ghost suddenly exclaimed, spinning around to face his Guardian with a look of alarm.

Mira took all of a second to register what Lumiere said, her hand going to the grip of her Scout Rifle immediately. “How close?”

Before Lumiere could answer, Mira felt her shields flair up in response to a sudden electromagnetic surge as a sonic boom erupted behind them. Without wasting a second, the Warlock burst into a sprint while beckoning her Ghost to her as the wave of static discharged washed over her. When she felt her fingers wrap around the Spark’s rigid edges, Mira dove into Beta to tackle them both to the ground just as the roar of an engine followed the shockwave.

They hit the ground just as a Fallen Skiff passed overhead, its lights searching the dark and narrowly missing them as it flew past the mountain range. After waiting a moment to make sure they hadn’t been spotted, Mira quickly pushed herself to her knees.

“Fallen?” she thought aloud.

“Tracking the Skiff’s flight path,” Lumiere stated as the alien ship flew out of sight. “It just passed over the peak of the mountain range…and it’s descending! Quick! Let’s not lose it!”

“Don’t need to tell me twice,” she grunted as she got up, one hand still on Beta as she urged him on. “C’mon, Beta! We need to follow the ship!”

“Oh, I love that game!” Beta exclaimed as the two took off at a sprint. With their Light-given mobility, the Titan and Warlock were able to quickly scale the high ledges in their path to the mountain’s zenith.

“Mira, if the Skiff’s dropping out of shock here, it must mean it’s heading somewhere to land or drop off stuff.” Lumiere explained as she flew into a rock wall, nearly slipping back down if it weren’t for an outstretched hand from Beta.

“Maybe they have a Ketch docked on the other side of this mountain.” She theorised, panting heavily as they neared the crest in the mountain’s spine.

Beta was the first to cross over to the other side of the mountain, thanks to his powerful vertical jump jets. The Sunsinger followed him a second later, following him down a sharp drop in the uneven ground to a short ledge and landing next to him. As Mira looked up to scan the landscape, she let out a gasp of shock at what she saw.

A few yards from the base of the mountain was a massive dig site that stretched all the way to the horizon. The dig was in the shape of an inverted, equilateral polyhedron, with various levels of even width descending deep into the earth – as if the ground had been perfectly chiselled by a pair of gargantuan carving tools. However, upon closer examination, Mira could see the clear signs of Vex machinoforming and construction dotting the quarry.

But that wasn’t what surprised her.

No, it was the fleet of Fallen Skiffs patrolling the edges of the dig site as teams of Fallen picked their way through the Vex architecture. Many were accompanied by Servitors or large hovering drills, carrying enough lights to illuminate the entire outer structure like an active mining operation.

“Lumiere, what exactly are we looking at?” she asked the Ghost tentatively.

“That? That would be the Chiselled Slopes.”


	12. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fireteam Roman arrives at The Chiselled Slopes, only to find it already overrun with unexpected guests.

**The Chiselled Slopes, Aphrodite Highlands, Venus…**

“Yup, these are The Slopes, alright.” Gull affirmed, staring down the scope of his sniper rifle as he surveyed the quarry before them.

“You didn’t mention anything about the Fallen.” Mira pointed out scornfully.

“Journal didn’t say anything about Fallen,” the Hunter shot back from his prone position, his attention never breaking from the scope. “Doesn't look like they've been here long, though.”

“Any idea why they're here, then?” Lumiere asked.

“Dunno,” Gull murmured as he watched a Captain on the far-eastern end of the quarry reprimand a pair of Vandals taking long drags of Ether from a canister. “They’re flying the Winter banner, and I’m not seeing a lot of Vex…” his gaze shifted to a group of Shanks and Dregs sifting through Vex corpses in a corner. “Well, livin’ Vex anyway.”

“Are they trying to adapt the Vex’s technology?” Mira snorted out a mocking chuckle. “They’d better hope they brought their best Servitors with them, or the Vex will be the ones to gain.”

“Well whatever they’re up to, it certainly throws a wrench in your plan,” the Hunter’s nimble fingers deftly adjusted the zoom on the scope as his focus moved to a glowing pillar of light on the other side of the quarry. “There’s still a few confluxes scattered about The Slopes, but most have got a squad on them, with at least two squads close enough to provide backup if we go in like we usually do.”

Glancing up from his rifle, Gull watched Mira shrug her shoulders with a frustrated huff. “Alright, we’ve taken on the Fallen in large numbers before. What’s the issue?”

“The issue is that we’ll be attacking an active Fallen raiding party – that’s nearly two-hundred Fallen foot soldiers on-site, not even counting the Shanks and Servitors they have flying about. Each squad’s linked to another four squads that’ll come to their aid the second a distress signal goes up. If we’re not careful, we’ll have a mob on our hands equipped with who knows how much firepower.” Gull explained.

“Then we take out their long-ranged comms,” Copperhead offered. “Fallen ops like these usually have one signal beacon paired to a Servitor or two that manages the comms network. We take those out, they’ll have to switch back to short-range comms - long enough for us to bash a few heads in, grab what we need and get out before the cavalry shows.”

“Ghost, you see one of those down there?” Gull asked, turning to the Ghost hovering an inch over his shoulder.

“Not yet. Scanning’s a bit tricky from this distance. Maybe if we got a bit closer-”

“I’d rather not run the risk,” Mira countermanded. “At least until we know if they've got snipers looking our way.”

There was a sudden, subtle change in his Ghost’s emotional fluctuation. Wondering what he saw, Gull glanced up as the black and red shell twitched back and forth. “Gull, check out that Fallen Skiff over there – twenty-four degrees off North.”

He complied without question, leaning back down to peer through the lens of his ‘ _LDR 5001_ ’, turning ever so slightly until he caught sight of the Skiff his Ghost mentioned, hovering at the Northern edge of the quarry to their left. It definitely stood out from the other dozen or so Skiffs patrolling the edge of The Slopes and hauling supplies; bearing a bulkier, matt-grey hull compared to the rust-brown of the others. It also had Winter banners along its engines, the tails of the ice-blue flags constantly fluttering from the heat wafting off the engines.

Opening his mouth to comment on it, the words caught in Gull’s throat when he noticed a particularly large Fallen climb out of the Skiff and drop to the ground. “Well, hello…” he murmured, the edges of his mouth curling in a sinister grin. “Look who we have here.”

“What? Who is it?” Mira asked impatiently.

“Ghost, run a visual cross-check – I wanna be sure it’s him,” he ordered before offering the sniper rifle to Mira. “See that Baron over there? The one with the four Shock Blades?”

Following Gull’s finger, the Warlock took a second to get used to the focus of the scope before replying. “Thorny blue headgear and large claws? Yeah, what about him?”

Gull eyed his Ghost, waiting for him to finish matching the image of the Baron before speaking. “Ninety-six percent accuracy. That’s him alright.” The Ghost affirmed after a couple seconds.

“His name’s Tethriks, a Baron of House Winter. Cayde’s got a bounty on him after he caused some trouble for a few Vanguard scouts,” he took the sniper rifle back as the Ghost flitted over to Lumiere, sharing their information of the imposing Fallen in a quick transmission beam. “Some of the Hunter’s call him ‘The Lightning Killer’.”

“I suppose there’s a story behind that title?”

“Allegedly Tethriks killed a Bladedancer named Bailey in a one-on-one knife fight – _while_ Bailey had his Arc Blade up,” he watched the Warlock out of the corner of his eye for her reaction, but she remained impassive. “Rumour since then's been that Tethrik's CQC technique is unmatched by any Fallen or Guardian.”

“That’s…” Mira struggled for words as a medley of expressions crossed her face in the span of a second. “Quite the claim. But why’s he here?”

“I’d bet my best guns that he’s the one running this operation,” Gull gritted his teeth as he watched the Baron walk tall about the quarry, the Fallen bowing their heads to him in respect when he passed by. “Killing a Guardian the way he did wonders for his rep. Field reports suggest that he’s a prime candidate if Winter ever gets a new Kell.”

“All the same, he’s not our objective; we’re only here until we get what I need from the Vex.” The Warlock conceded.

“I dunno, Mira. That bounty should set us up nicely for a couple months if we all end up exiled,” Gull mused as he aligned the sight of his rifle between the Baron’s eyes. “Plus, I’m _pretty_ sure he’s killed a couple of my friends.”

“We don’t have time to be running VIP hits, Gull.”

“Shouldn’t be that difficult,” he murmured back while steadying his breathing, becoming as still as a rock in moments. “All I have to do is pull the trigger.”

“Do that, and the Fallen will put The Slopes on high alert for _days_ looking for us,” she got no response from the Hunter. “I am ordering you _not_ to fire, Gull!”

He contemplated the notion for a second longer, index finger gently caressing the trigger before pulling away with a ‘tsk’. “Probably couldn’t kill him in one magazine from this distance, anyway.”

Sighing with relief, Mira fixed Gull with a hard, annoyed look. “Find out where the comms beacon and Servitors are. Beta and I are going to look for a path down.” She ordered before walking past the Hunter and ushering the Titan down a short drop off the cliff.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, _boss._ ” Gull muttered to himself as he began sweeping the Chiselled Slopes with his sniper rifle, occasionally swivelling back to watch Tethriks.

A few moments passed in relative silence when Gull’s communicator pinged with an alert - Mira’s ID. He activated it and quickly greeted the Warlock to let her know he was listening. “Gull, I think we’ve found a safe-enough path down the mountain. It’s going to be a challenge getting back up once we’re done here, but at least there's no sniper cover. Any sign of the target?”

“Not yet, I’m still-- hold on!”

“What is it?”

“Tethriks is leaving. He just boarded his Skiff.”

“Focus, Gull.”

“Last chance to change your mind.”

“I won’t. Get back to searching.”

Grunting in response, Gull kept his sight on the Winter Baron a moment longer, watching as he entered his Skiff just as it was pulling away. Gull’s eyes followed the Skiff for as long as he could before losing sight of it when it vanished in a shimmer of light.

Watching the ship activate its cloaking drive, a feeling of regret washed over the Hunter for a brief moment before he resumed his search.

“Ok, I think I’ve got something,” Gull spoke over the Fireteam telemetry after a moment of searching. “South-eastern corner of the Slopes, two levels down. Looks like an active Fallen Spike Beacon connected to two-- no, three Servitors. Small guard of Dregs with em, too.”

“I think I see it,” Copperhead added as Gull peered up from his scope to get a lay of the land with the naked eye. “Come on down here and we’ll make a move on it.”

“You four go on ahead. I’ll trail behind to provide sniper cover,” Gull declared as he clambered down to a lower ledge – just beneath the one he was on. “You won’t have any good vantage points from down there. Won’t be hard for the Fallen to sneak up behind you.”

“Fine, but don’t hang back too far. I don’t want to have to cross the entire damn quarry to get to you if you’re in trouble.” Mira warned as Gull examined the shape of the ledge, thinking of the best way to get set up.

“You just watch your fronts while you’re down there. I’ve got your backs covered,” The Gunslinger replied, eventually deciding on a kneeling position to steady his rifle as he wedged one foot under the rock. “Head along the southern edge of the quarry – the one to your right. That’s the shortest, safest way there.”

“Copy that.”

“Ghost, I’m going to need the ELDR attachments.”

A bundle of sniper rifle parts appeared at Gull’s side a second later, which the Hunter quickly went about affixing to his weapon. The ‘Extremely-Long-Distance-Relationship’ mods – aptly named after the weapon they were built for – allowed for even longer firing distance and steadier handling, in exchange for a more compound loading system with a greater kick to it.

All-in-all, a great set of modifications when planning to shoot at something from a fixed spot too far away to shoot back at you.

The telemetry feed went silent as Mira and Beta descended to the surface of the Vex quarry. For a few moments, the only sound Gull heard were his own shallow breaths and the howl of the wind, until he caught sight of the two Guardians creeping up behind a rectangular obelisk at the edge of the quarry.

From there, Gull followed the path of his teammates through the lens of his rifle as they sprinted along the side of the quarry, keeping to the edge of The Slopes and only climbing down a level when a Fallen patrol crossed their path.

Until they took out the Fallen’s means of communication, getting into a shootout now was too much of a risk.

Fortunately, Gull didn’t need to fire a single shot as the Warlock and Titan made their approach, only calling out to them once or twice over the team frequency to warn them of a passing sentry.

“Ok, I think we’re close enough to the target,” Mira announced after a couple of minutes. “Gull, how are things looking?”

“Give me a minute,” the Gunslinger grunted in reply as he pulled himself up one of the stacks of Vex geometry that seemed to sprout out of the ground, ‘ _LDR 5001_ ’ slung over his back in a sling. Trailing behind the rest of his team meant that Gull had to watch his own surroundings when changing vantage points to keep up with them.

Fortunately, the South side of the quarry was in no short supply of vertical Vex construction, not to mention a lack of Fallen patrols along its exterior.

Once he reached the top, Gull swung his rifle about and dropped into a squat. “Ok, no additional guards or patrols on approach…couple of the Dregs have their backs to us, the rest have their attention on the Servitors.”

“What’s our play?”

“You two move in first, kick up a fuss and focus on the Servitors and that beacon. I’ll pick off the guards furthest from you and sweep inward,” Gull explained as he made a mental note of each of the Dregs’ positions, planning in his mind the order which he would kill first. “Just…do me a favour and try not to trash those Servitors up too badly.”

“Um…why?”

“Some of them have parts that I need intact.”

“What for?”

“I’ll show you later, just try to go for precise deathblows.” Gull growled impatiently.

“No promises. On my mark?”

“Mark.”

As soon as the word left his mouth, Mira and Beta burst into action. Jumping out of cover together, the two gunned down the Fallen with such ferocity that their numbers were halved by the time the squad of Eliksni realised where the attack was coming from.

Gull finally acted when the two Guardians took cover to reload, taking aim with his rifle and snapping off a shot that spewed a jet of ether in the air. Another shot followed just as the second Dreg realised he was being aimed at, the two lifeless bodies falling limp just a second apart.

Once he was sure the two Fallen grunts weren’t getting back up, Gull swivelled his aim towards the remaining Fallen, taking pot shots at his team from behind cover. He took a second to watch the pattern of their movements before firing as each took turns peeking out of cover.

 _Three, four…reload…five, six…_ It wasn’t long before all the Fallen were dealt with, reduced to corpses soaking in their own ether.

“Backfield’s dead,” Gull announced as his aim swivelled about to find his teammates. “What’s the status on those-- what the hell?!” his eyes widened with shock when he saw the state of two of the Servitors. They were nothing but a pulverised mess of wires and metal. “Mira, what d-” he stammered when he caught sight of the last Servitor, backing away slowly. It didn’t get very far as Beta tackled it to the ground and began pounding on it with both hands. “Beta, no-no-no-no! Don’t-!” his warning came out a second too late as the Titan ripped the Servitor in half, throwing its remains to the grounds and stamping it to a pulp. “…Smash.”

“I told you I wouldn’t make any promises.”

“You could’ve stopped him.” Gull hissed irritably.

“Eh, didn’t feel like it.” Mira replied innocently with a shrug.

“Beacon’s still up.”

“I know, I know. Relax,” the Warlock sauntered up to the Spike Beacon with a grenade materialising in her hand. Placing it on the side of the beacon’s chassis, she thumped it once with the back of her fist before stepping back and allowing it to explode. “See? Taken care of.”

“You’re having too much fun with this.” Gull remarked.

“Am I _not_ allowed to enjoy myself while I work?”

“It’s not the work you’re enjoying,” as he said this, Mira’s gaze flickered to where Beta was still flinging about bits of destroyed Servitors, ensuring that none of the parts were salvageable. Even through the scope, Gull could see the Warlock fail to supress a snicker. “Pfft, he _really_ doesn’t like them, does he?” She chuckled.

“Yeah, laugh it up,” Gull grumbled. He had expected this kind of extreme violence towards any Servitors they came across after learning about Beta’s particular…prejudice towards the spherical machines during Fireteam Roman’s firsts – and only – month. “It’s a big quarry. He can’t break _all_ the Servitors.”

“Wanna bet?”

“If you two are finished over there, I just detected multiple reports of comm failure from nearby Fallen excavation teams,” Copperhead announced. “Seems like that did the trick.”

“The network won’t be down for long, so whatever it is you’re gonna do-” Gull was interrupted by the whistle of a round from a Wire Rifle as it zipped by, inches from his head. Following the path of the tracer, he saw a group of Vandals gathering along the ledge of the level above him. “I’ve been spotted!” he growled, hopping down from the spire and dropping deeper into the quarry as a volley of Arc rounds followed in his wake. “I’ll circle back around once I lose them.”

He didn’t wait for a response as he backstepped into a small hole in the wall, hugging the shadows as he listened for signs of the pursuing Fallen. The squad that was hunting him arrived a few seconds later, dropping down from the upper floor as they searched for the Gunslinger.

Gull waited a full minute for the Fallen to give up or move on. When the two Vandals blocking his path refused to do either, he drew his hand cannon and gunned both down before vaulting out of cover. Back in the open, Gull took a quick sweep of his surroundings, reflexively firing on the Vandal sniper that was supposed to be covering the squad. As soon as it dropped dead, Gull took off at a sprint in the direction of his Fireteam, ignoring the Fallen in his way even as they fired at him.

He ran the length of the quarry with the Fallen hot on his tail until he noticed a stack of Vex cubes built into the side of the quarry layer. Tossing a Swarm Grenade at his feet, Gull made a break for it as the grenade erupted, climbing the cubes like a set of stairs.

The burst of Solar drones kept the Fallen behind him busy as the Hunter made a beeline for the edge of the quarry. With a carefully timed double-jump, Gull managed to clamber up the outermost layer of the quarry before dropping to one knee and swinging his rifle around. Holding his position, he scanned the edge of the ledge just below him for signs of the Fallen, shooting down two Dregs that leapt up in pursuit.

After waiting a few seconds for more to follow, Gull decided that it was a waste of time and ammo before making a break for the others at a sprint, hoping that no one spotted him.

Following the waypoint markers, Gull eventually found the Warlock and Titan; the former knelt down before a Vex conflux one level down while the latter was crushing the remains of a Goblin into palm-sized balls.

He walked the edge of the quarry until he was directly above the rest of his Fireteam, dropping down the ledge to land a few feet from the conflux. The sound of his boots hitting the ground startled the Warlock, fumbling as she brought her rifle up in a hurry.

Mira held her aim for a couple of seconds before slowly lowering her arm. “You…really need to stop doing that.”

“Maybe you need to be more alert.” He shot back.

“I was – that’s why you don’t have a hole in your head.”

“Not alert enough to tell me apart from a Dreg,” he replied, shaking his head in disappointment. Rolling her eyes, Mira went back to examining the datapad in her hands. “You got anything so far?” Gull asked as he approached her.

“Do you want the long answer or the short answer?” Mira asked as she glanced over her shoulder at the Hunter.

Dropping to a crouch next to the Warlock, Gull took a glance at the information whizzing across the datapad before deciding it was too much of an effort to figure out for himself. “Just stick to the important parts.”

“Well, I uploaded a data worm into the Vex network to search for information on the decrypted signal frequency – or any other incidents of anomalous attacks to Vex territory. After sifting through the data it’s been sending back to me, I think I’ve located a datacluster within the network that might have something related to what we’re looking for.”

“Great, have your Ghost pull it and let’s get the heck out of here.”

“That’s the thing,” Lumiere replied as he floated down from the top of the conflux. “Seems the Vex have amped up their network security across The Slopes. And when I say ‘amped up’, I mean it as a _massive_ understatement. Even a dozen Ghosts trying to breach their protocols simultaneously would take days – maybe weeks – to pull it off.”

“Yeah, that’s not gonna work. If the Fallen don’t kill us by then, sooner or later some lucky Hobgoblin is going to snap a shot off at one of our Ghosts,” he turned back to Mira. “That big Warlock brain of yours come up with any other ideas?”

“As a matter of fact, yes it-- _I_ did,” Mira corrected so quickly that Gull almost missed it. “I couldn’t breach the Vex’s network security, but I could find out why the Vex put it up. Take a look.” She said, offering him the datapad.

“I don’t know what any of this is.” Gull replied even as he took the datapad from Mira’s hand.

“Search queries into the Vex network. The ones marked red are from an unknown, foreign login.” Mira rose to Gull’s side as she tapped a finger to the screen, causing a window to open on a familiar symbol.

“The Fallen?” Gull thought aloud as he stared at the pixelated insignia of the House of Winter.

“Seems they’ve had more than three dozen successful data intrusions into the Vex network here in just the past three days. I’ll bet that’s what they’re using most of the Servitors here for. Though, I have to say, for the Vex this is pretty sloppy computer security.” She explained, taking the datapad back.

“You think the Fallen are looking for something in there?” he asked, eyeing the Warlock warily. “Could it be what we’re looking for?”

“If we can find out what the Fallen managed to pull from the network, it should answer that question for us.”

“Can you do that? I thought network security was too tight?”

“Yes, but the Fallen already got some info out of there before we even arrived,” Mira cast her gaze out across the quarry, where they could see several faint purple glows. “And I’ll bet some of those Servitors still have the data on them.”

Gull began nodding along after a second. “Ok, I think I know what you’ve got in mind. Crack open a few Servitors, let the Ghosts have a look at what’s inside of them…”

“More or less. The Servitors are probably going to be carrying the data I need in fragments which, based on my estimates, I should be able to piece together into a coherent set of data after about…ten to sixteen Servitors?”

“We bust that many Servitors, the Fallen are gonna be on us like flies on honey,” Gull mused. “Without an easy route for exfil, that’ll be a pretty risky bit of business…also I don’t think we have enough ammo to take on the entire Slopes.”

The Warlock’s mouth twisted in a grimace as she mulled over the problem. Her eyes flitted about for a couple seconds before lighting up in excitement. “Unless we make the Fallen come to us.”

For a moment, Gull simply looked about for any indication of what might have just struck the Awoken with inspiration. He gave up when the only things that stood out to him were the dead Goblins, Dregs and inert Vex construction. “Ok, how do you figure we’re gonna do that?”

A wild, enthusiastic smile crossed the Warlock’s face then that gave Gull the sense that he should be worried. Before the words could leave her mouth, however, the two Guardians jumped when a loud crash of metal interrupted them.

“One Servi-Boy, fresh from the party!” Beta declared, patting his hands off – the crushed and mangled remains of a Servitor lying at his feet in a pile. The bright, joyous smile on the Exo’s face gradually drooped as the two Guardians continued to stare at him with perplexed expressions. “Did…was that a no on the Servitors order, then?”

“Sorry, I’m just…wow, that didn’t take long at all,” Mira responded as she slid to her knees before the pile of metal. “Oh dear, I hope its memory core is still salvageable…or, still in here. By the Light, how’d you manage to trash this thing so quickly?”

“I’m more surprised he did all of _this_ without us hearing it.” Gull added.

“I have strange powers some would consider…unnatural,” Beta said, deepening his voice as he chuckled in a way that was more menacing than it should have been. “At least that’s what some of the other Titans say.”

“No comment.”

“Ahah!” Mira exclaimed as she yanked her arm free of the Servitor’s guts, pulling with it a circular disc covered in a sheen of Ether. “Got it!”

“Great, that’s one. Now how are we-” Gull paused as a flicker of movement near the ledge to the lower levels caught his attention. With barely a moment’s hesitation, the Hunter drew his hand cannon and fired two shots that struck the cloaked Vandal in its chest. “How are we gonna get the rest?” he finished as the Vandal fell backwards, hitting to the ground after a second.

“Guys, our position’s been compromised,” Gull’s Ghost suddenly exclaimed. “I’m tracking multiple hostile signatures headed this way.”

“Yeah…that might’ve been our fault,” Copperhead hesitantly admitted. “Probably should’ve been more careful when getting that Servitor…which was feeding a dig crew…in plain sight of everyone.”

“That’s fine. We’re done here anyway,” Mira replied as the datadrive in her hand disappeared in a flash of light. “Double back the way we came – kill as many Servitors as you can and pull their datadrives.”

“You think we’ll be able to get as many as we need like that?” Gull asked while reloading his ‘ _Heaven Can Wait_ ’.

“No, but I have a solution.”

“Mind filling us in on it.”

“On the way there,” she promised. “Though, I do have one question: how fast can you climb a mountain, again?”


	13. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mira sets a trap for the Fallen in order to steal their information. Outnumbered and outgunned, Fireteam Roman will have to fight smart and hard in order to pull this off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Special thanks to ArcaneGlitch and dumbdestinynerd, two members from my Discord writing group, for their special OC guest mentions in this chapter. Their links can be found at the end of the chapter.

**The Chiselled Slopes, Aphrodite Highlands, Venus…**

“Y’know, if this plan of yours doesn’t pan out the way you say it will, I’m not coming back down for you and Beta.” Gull warned over the team frequency.

“Oh, ye of little faith,” Mira groaned as she wound the length of measuring tape back up with the press of a button. “It’s going to work.”

“Yeah, unless the Fallen turn on a transmat jammer,” the Hunter scoffed. “I thought Warlocks didn’t like leaving anything up to chance.”

“It’s called taking a calculated risk – very different concepts.”

“Your plan literally hinges on the Fallen not seeing what you’re obviously doing. That sounds like chance to me.”

“Do you want me to break it down for you? Because I can – _and_ will.” Mira threatened as she stomped on a patch dirt where the gradual slope of the mountain met Vex stone.

“I’d really rather you di-”

“See, the plan is to lure the Fallen towards us using the strong electronic signature my field research equipment gives off. Normally, it would be pretty hard to notice, but with the safety dampeners deactivated the strength of its unmasked transmission waves should attract every Fallen with a tech sensor on them.” The Warlock explained as she jammed the sharp end of a transmat beacon into the soft ground.

“You’ve already explained this to me, please stop.” Gull pleaded with an audible sigh.

“Naturally, the Fallen will bring their Servitors along to help them understand what this stuff does,” Mira continued anyway. “Servitors come to us, we kill the Servitors, steal their memory banks and get the heck outta dodge – that’s where you come in.”

“I get it already, you don’t have to-”

“Once I’m sure we have enough data from the Servitors, you activate the transmat beacon on your end while we lock our signal, pulling me, Beta and all my equipment to your position. Far away enough for the Fallen to lose our trail.”

“Unless they jam our transmat,” Gull muttered uneasily. “These Fallen have been fighting the Vex, and from the looks of it did a pretty damn good job of it. A few of them are bound to be carrying transmat jammers on them.”

“But they don’t know what we’re planning,” Mira countered. “Besides, it takes a Fallen transmat jammer approximately one-hundred and eighty seconds to charge before it's ready for use. If we see one, all Beta and I have to do is break it before it comes online.”

Gull remained silent for a few moments, the only sounds to be heard grunts of exertion as Mira went about planting a few more transmat beacons at the edges of their kill zone. “Alright, transmat beacon’s planted,” he announced eventually. “I’m in position to provide covering fire…hope you know what you’re doing, Vuul.”

“Wouldn’t have made it this far if I didn’t,” Taking a second to pop a few joints in her neck, the Warlock tapped a command into her wrist panel. The transmat beacon near her feet suddenly came alive with a steady green light and a high-pitched trill before the Warlock’s scientific equipment appeared on the ground a metre away, haphazardly but structurally stacked in a pile. Once everything had arrived, the light from the beacon faded out, retracting into its compact form as its transmat charge was spent. “Lumiere, get to removing the safeguards – and power up the equipment as soon as it’s ready.” She commanded, waving her Ghost towards the precious instruments.

“On it.”

“Beta, how’re those traps coming along?” she asked, turning on the spot to look over at the Titan some distance away.

“Planting the last one now.” Copperhead replied in place of his Guardian, who was squatting over a landmine just as it was done priming. He buried it under a small mound of dirt before standing back up and giving Mira a thumbs-up. 

“Excellent work!” she shouted at the Exo before turning her attention back to the pile of research equipment they would be using as bait. “Now, for the finishing touch,” Mira murmured as she reached into one of her pockets, drawing out a Fallen transponder she took off a Vandal. Pressing the buttons on it in a sequence she remembered, Mira waited for the blinking red light on the transponder to come on before squeezing the trigger at its side, sending out a distress beacon. “And now, we wait.”

The lights on several field equipment came on just as Mira dropped the transponder at the foot of the pile, a few of the machines emitting a hum as their systems came to life. “Some of the gear’s gotta go through start-up cycles before they activate, but the dampeners have been disabled.” Lumiere announced, appearing at Mira’s side.

“Let it go at its own pace. Time’s on our side.” she replied, holding out her hand as Lumiere took his place above it and vanished.

“Not for much longer. There’s a couple of Shanks headed this way.” Gull warned as Mira turned around to watch a pair of the alien drones bob their way towards her.

Drawing her Scout Rifle, the Warlock took aim and prepared to fire when the first Shank was suddenly blown to pieces. Immediately after, Beta ran across her field of vision and fired another round from his shotgun into the other Shank.

“That’s two already!” Copperhead called out over the Fireteam’s frequency.

“Lucky headstart,” Gull jeered in return. “A minute from now and you’ll barely be able to keep up with my body count.”

“If you two insist on playing this _ridiculous_ game, could you please count quietly?” Mira reprimanded as her eyes scanned the quarry’s ridge for any Fallen thinking to investigate the noise. “It’s vexing enough to know you’re competing for kills during risky skirmishes with the enemy.”

She tuned out the annoyed comebacks from the Hunter and Ghost, coming in from either ear as they argued in defense of their petty competition.

After a second, she heard Lumiere chirp through their mental link. “You want me to keep count for you?”

“Please, Lumiere,” she sighed in exasperation before noticing a Vandal climbing over the ridge. Taking aim, she quickly squeezed out a shot that blew off the Eliskni’s head. “As if I can’t keep count myself.” she lowered her rifle with a grin as some of the machines behind her began giving out shrill beeps, the sound amplified by her armour’s sensitive electro-receptors.

_Here they come._

No sooner had the thought crossed Mira’s mind when another gang of Dregs, led by a Captain, leapt up from the quarry and began stalking towards the Warlock - a few wild Shock Pistols rounds zipping ahead of the squad.

Mira raised her rifle again to retaliate when the Captain was suddenly knocked down by a high-impact bullet to its neck. A second shot followed the first as it tried to get back up, piercing it through the chest and killing the Captain.

At the sight of their dead leader, the Dregs began to run for cover with their hands over their heads.

“Kill the Captains quick enough, and any Fallen they’re leading will scatter like flies.” Gull informed, cocking the bolt on his rifle twice.

“I know that.” Mira grumbled back, gunning down a Dreg that tried to dart behind closer cover.

“Really?” Another crack of his sniper rifle as a Dreg dropped to the ground. “Then why is it I only ever see you shooting Dregs whenever we get into a scruff with the Fallen?”

Noticing a couple Vandals skirting around to try and flank their position, the Sunsinger took to the air before lobbing a Solar Grenade in front of their path, catching both in the ensuing inferno. “Because I won’t have to worry about scaring off Dregs if there aren’t any left alive.”

“Sure, if you don’t mind wasting ammo.”

“I don’t see what the problem is either way,” Copperhead chimed in. “Mostly because we’re already at _eight kills_!”

“Yay! Number eight!” Beta cheered.

The jokes and banter stopped shortly after that as more and more Fallen encroached on their position. Dregs, Vandals, Servitors and swarms of Shanks peppered their position with bolts of energy as they approached from the edge of The Slopes.

Mira gave the order for Beta to fall back soon after, the two ducking behind a mound of Vex corpses that their Ghosts had gathered from the quarry. Though Gull had voiced his concerns about how well a pile of dead Goblins would hold up under consistent fire, it managed to shield them from the worst of the Fallen’s attacks.

“Mira, I’m doing my best but I can’t kill them all on my own,” Gull said between gunshots. “Whatever you’re planning to do with those traps, I suggest you do it before they get any closer.”

“Just a few...more...steps…” Peering over the edge of the bronze barrier, the Warlock kept her eyes on a squad of Fallen and their Servitor while her hand hovered over her wrist panel. As soon as the Fallen were close enough, she tapped a key on the control screen and caused a surge of static energy to erupt from the ground.

Every Fallen caught in the blast was suddenly wracked with painful spasms while two Servitors hovering close by dropped to the ground - the light in their eyes flickering as they wobbled helplessly. Nearby Dregs and Vandals immediately began backing away from their paralysed comrades, fearful of suffering the same fate - unaware that they were gathering right where Mira wanted them.

“Beta, go get them!” she barked while tapping another key on her wrist panel, causing another Arc charge to explode and stun another group of Fallen. The Exo sprung into action immediately, vaulting out of cover and charging at the Fallen with a war cry that sounded somewhere between a frantic scream and an empowering yell.

Instead of bullets, Beta wielded a stack of small, dense metal balls, holding one in a foregrip while his other arm cradled the rest against his chest. Try as she might, Mira’s eyes could barely keep track of the balls the moment they left the Titan’s throwing hand, flying fast enough to emit a loud crunch whenever one struck a Fallen.

Hell, she could still barely believe that she had _watched_ him compress each ball by hand from leftover Vex parts.

Yet she was unable to deny the effectiveness of the unconventional weapon.

Catching herself lost in thought as she watched Beta punch, punt and tackle his way through the growing number of Fallen, Mira was suddenly startled out of her daydreaming when a Servitor came hurtling through the air before crashing into the barricade of Vex bodies.

Initially stumbling from the shock of it, Mira eventually regained her composure as she watched Beta grab the next incapacitated Servitor and toss it like a discuss towards her. She waited until the flung Servitor came to a complete stop before reaching out of cover to hoist the first one onto her side of the barrier. Turning it about until its eye faced the sky, Lumiere darted into view to shoot a beam into its eye, freezing its processors while the Sunsinger procured a foldable blowtorch.

With it, she cut a hole on the side of the machine as fast as she could before probing its interior with her free hand, feeling her way through crevices and openings until she found what she was looking for. Quickly but carefully, Mira yanked the component loose and withdrew her arm, taking a moment to examine the memory core in the light of her helmet before transmatting it into her inventory.

“One down,” she sighed, kicking the lifeless Servitor away as she stood to grab the next one. “Another nine or fifteen to go.”

This pattern repeated for a good long while: Mira setting off another Arc charge between machine gutting, Beta tossing another damaged or stunned Servitor Mira’s way before the Warlock proceeded to dissect it. Her rhythm was only broken by the occasional Fallen that managed to slip by Beta and tried to catch Mira by surprise.

At least, that was how Mira would have hoped it would be.

And then Gull started talking.

“So, Mira. This thing you had going with Amanda...mind setting the record straight on that?” Gull asked as the Warlock rolled another dead Reaver Vandal over the Vex barricade.

“Is this really the right time for this conversation?” she asked, continuing to cut into her next Servitor. “And shouldn’t you be concentrating on covering us?”

“Kid, the only thing that could break my concentration when I’m firing at this range is if something was shooting at me.”

“Good for you - now cut the chatter and let me work.”

“You think I’ll buy that? After all the times you’ve gone off about how great you are at multitasking?” Gull asked rhetorically, a slight edge to his voice. “Look, we can do this now or later - but I’m not dropping this.”

With a frustrated groan, Mira punched open the hole she cut into the Servitor to vent some stress, feeling about for the memory core as she spoke. “Fine. It was a few months back - about a month before we met, actually.”

“Tell me about the gear you swiped from her.” The tone of his demand was soft but insistent.

“Oh, for the love of-- I thought she was over that!”

“She is, but I’m not.”

“Ok, for the record,” Mira paused to stand up and fire a rocket near where Beta was slowly getting overwhelmed by Fallen. “I was only borrowing it. Guess she didn’t mention I eventually returned everything?”

“Except you didn’t, did you? There was something she never got back.”

“What, that warp drive?” she fired a second rocket straight into a Fallen Captain. “I would have gladly returned it, if it hadn’t exploded after three test jumps. Pretty sure I did her a favour, stress testing it like that. Any other pilot might have blown themselves up trying to use it.”

“That’s not your claim to make!”

“Will you just-” She stopped herself before she could get carried away, noticing that she was gripping the Servitor memory core in her hand hard enough to bend it out of shape.

This situation was becoming very familiar to the Warlock: her arguments with the Hunter would drag on without resolution long enough to get on her nerves and act emotionally - the same way she had done in front of the Vanguard. In an effort to avoid something similar from happening again, Mira took a moment to compose herself as she tossed the damaged memory core away - starting over again.

“I’ve made amends with Amanda already,” she began, cutting away at the next Servitor. “I’ve paid her back for the warp drive, everything’s good between us.”

“Did Amanda tell you that, or that just what you want to believe?” 

The question made Mira stop what she was doing and really contemplate her response. “Doesn’t matter; my conscience is clear. If Amanda wants to hold this against me for a few more years, fine,” she shrugged while tossing a handful of Servitor wiring over her shoulder. “But I don’t wish her ill.”

“So that’s it? You just played things out until you got what you wanted? Were you gonna ditch her like the others anyway, or was the warp drive thing just a lucky break for you.”

“Uh, Hive Gods!” she grunted in exasperation - both from Gull’s persistent questioning and the jet of Ether that just sprayed her in the face. “Yes, I was going to break things off with her sooner or later, though I didn’t think it would be over a-” she paused, only just registering a minor addition to the Hunter’s question. “Wait, what do you mean ‘others’?”

The question had barely left Mira’s lips when she heard the familiar sound of Shock Daggers being unsheathed behind her - four of them, in total. She turned around as fast as she could, hoping to at least kill one of the Fallen before they managed to injure her, when she heard two gunshots in the distance and the pair of cloaked Vandals dropped dead. “You know exactly what I’m talking about, Mira. I know for a fact that Amanda wasn’t the first hook-up you’ve had and sure as hell she isn’t the last.”

With the immediate danger resolved, the Warlock resumed her work with a sigh. “You’ve been talking to my exes?”

“Pretty sure Amanda’s the first, actually. But...word gets around.”

“Any names mentioned?”

“A few: Naveer-9, Liv, Tao Ling, Kestrel,” Gull listed, Mira wincing inwardly at each name - and the thought of how Gull of all people might have taken the stories behind them. “All ends the same way - broken hearts and tampered gear.”

“Holy shit, Mira! You never mentioned you were such a casanova.” Copperhead teased with a chuckle.

“Ok, for the record,” she yelped as a shock traveled up her arm, the Warlock accidentally brushing her hand against a live wire. “Kestrel and I separated on good terms. Whoever told you those stories obviously exaggerated the details.” she explained while trying to shake away the numbness in her fingertips.

“Yet things never seem to last more than a couple months.” Gull countered.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realise long-standing romances were the norm for Guardians,” Mira scowled sarcastically. “What’s the point of, ‘Til death do us part’ if we don’t die? Am I just supposed to commit myself to the same person until the sun goes out?”

“I’d expect-”

“ _What_ ? What do you _think_ you expect from me?” Mira snapped as she began yanking out wires furiously. “That I’d remain loyal to a person just because I’m loyal to a faction? That I’d be more considerate of other people’s feelings since I’m Awoken?”

“I expect you to give me a straight answer: why’d you do it? You could’ve gotten those people to give you what you wanted a hundred different ways, yet you chose to go out with them. Why?”

“Alright, that’s enough!” Lumiere spoke up for the first time since Gull started questioning her. “Mira, we have enough memory cores to piece together the intel the Fallen extracted. I’m tagging the field equipment for transmat now.”

Sighing to herself, she shoved the latest Servitor husk away in a fit of frustration before tapping her communicator. “Beta, fall back to my position. We’re done here.”

“Whew. Ok,” Beta panted, sounding out of breath. “Was a...was starting to get a little winded back there.” After a few seconds, Mira heard the sounds of heavy footsteps approaching the barricade before the Titan tumbled over the top of it - his body heaving from exhaustion as a strong stench of ozone and Ether wafted off it.

Propping her rifle on top of the pile of dead Vex, Mira popped off a few shots at the encroaching Fallen as she fiddled with the transmat tag on her wrist panel.

 _Still green,_ she thought to herself. _The Fallen haven’t tried jamming us yet._

“Gull, we’re all set. Lock for transmat and get us out.” Mira ordered.

“Not until you answer my question.” was his reply.

“This isn’t the time for games, Gunslinger. Get us out - _now_!” the Warlock shouted.

“I’m not playing games, Vuul. Give me a damn answer, or you’re going to need to find your own way out of there.” Gull shot back sternly.

“Wait, you’re leaving us here to die with this bitch?” Copperhead exclaimed in a panic.

“Gull, if you don’t transmat us out of here _right now_ , I am going to atomise you the next time I see you!” she threatened with a growl.

“Pretty sure you’re going to have to deal with _them_ first.” At Gull’s words, Mira chanced a look over the top of her cover. Her worries doubled when she saw the massing army of Fallen, now constantly pelting the small barrier with bolts of arc - one of which nearly struck her in the eye just as she ducked back down.

“Gull, as Fireteam leader, you are obligated to follow my orders. Now, unless you’re going to do as I say _immediately_ , you better make sure I don’t leave here alive. Because if I do, I’m going to make sure everyone in The Tower knows you didn’t just abandon The City, you betrayed your Fireteam.” she growled the word with such venom that Mira wouldn’t have been surprised if fire was coming out of her mouth.

“Bold words for someone within exploding Shank range.” Gull shot back. Mira took all of a second to register his words before she gingerly stood up to look over the barricade, her eyes immediately landing on the Shank covered in bombs on the other side of their cover.

Her warning yell barely left her lips before the overloaded drone blasted apart their small cover, sending chunks of brass everywhere as the two Guardians were thrown against the hard ground.

The Sunsinger’s ears rang as she rolled onto her back with a pained groan, craning her neck forward to catch a glimpse of the approaching Fallen. Turning on her side, she saw Beta try to push himself to his feet, only to stumble in his daze and tip back over.

“Gull, if you’re not going to get us out of here, at least save the equipment,” she groaned weakly. “The bare minimum you could do is ensure the Fallen don’t get their grubby claws on my tech.”

“Nah, I think I’ll let them have it this time - just to spite you.”

“You’re a certified asshole, you know that?” Mira growled, summoning The Cure to her hands as she sprung to a sitting position and fired two rounds into the approaching horde of Fallen. “What do you want me to say, huh?! That I did it because it was fun?” she shouted as she loaded a second cartridge into the weapon. “That I did it because I wanted to see if I could? Because I did, ok! I like the challenge and knowing I can make people like me! I didn’t think they’re react so badly because I didn’t care - and neither should they, for that matter. So hang me if that makes me the villain of that story!”

Firing the last round from her rocket launcher, Mira waited for the dust to settle and the Fallen to regroup before reaching for the next cartridge. Her blood ran cold when she realised that she had used her last heavy ammo synthesiser. One glance back towards the line of Fallen scavengers was enough for her to know that there were too many to fight without her heavy weapon.

“Blast it.” she growled, swapping out the rocket launcher for her fusion rifle as she prepared to call on her Radiance, standing firm against the regrouping aliens.

To her side, Beta grunted out another breath as he stumbled to his feet. “Don’t worry, Mira,” he said while rolling his neck. “We’re not going anywhere. Me and Copperhead are gonna stay by your side for as long as this takes.” he stated while hefting his auto rifle in one hand.

“Yes, well staying here seems to be the problem, doesn’t it?” Mira pointed out, briefly turning her attention away from the Fallen to glance at the Titan. “But thank you.”

“If I’m allowed to offer some input in these trying times,” Copperhead began, appearing just above Beta’s shoulder. “I just want to say...this is all _your fault_!”

“My fault?” Mira exclaimed, aghast.

“Not you! I blame all of you for this!” Copperhead screamed upwards. “We’re all going to die and it’s everyone’s fault except me!”

Just then, a light shone down on the two Guardians, accompanied by a sudden change in air pressure that kicked up dirt and dust around them. Holding a hand up against the light, Mira saw the outline of a Fallen Skiff hovering a few metres above them. In an instant, its forward guns were activated and rotating to bear on the two Guardians.

The bronze Ghost sighed as both Guardians heard the whir of the Arc turrets charging up. “Well, if we gotta be vaporised, we might as well do it kicking and screaming.”

“Not this time.” Gull’s voice crackled over the comms just as the twin turrets began glowing with Arc light. At the last moment, Mira saw the ship spit out its first volley as she was enveloped in a blinding white light.

In an instant, Mira was standing on the edge of a plateau, overcome with a sudden sense of vertigo which nearly tipped her off the edge. Taking a second to get her bearings, she found she was back on the plateau overlooking the Chiselled Slopes. Pivoting around on one foot, she found her pile of field research gear not too far away - and right next to it was Gull, one arm leaning against his sniper rifle.

“Hope you got what you needed.” he said with a neutral expression, his short salt and pepper hair rustled by the breeze with his helmet removed.

White-hot fury bubbled up within Mira as she stomped over to the Hunter, one hand already forming the shape of a Warlock sign. “You could’ve gotten us killed down there!”

“I wasn’t _actually_ going to leave you two to die,” Gull replied with an irritated roll of his eyes. “I just wanted to see it’d take to get you to crack.”

As he turned away, Mira quickly grabbed the Human by the arm and yanked him back to hold eye-contact. “If you _ever_ do anything like that again-”

“Then I’m sure you won’t keep me waiting for long. Don’t matter to me, I got what I wanted.” Gull finished, pulling his arm free as he walked over to check on the prone Striker. Mira noted, with some mild satisfaction, the way Gull brushed at a palm-shaped burn on his arm as he walked.

“Let it go, Mira,” Lumiere soothed, the Sunsinger clenching her fists out of reaction. “We got the data, we got all our stuff, most importantly we’re all still here.”

“What’s he playing at, Lumiere?” Mira muttered to her Ghost. “First we chat more casually than we ever did as a Fireteam, then he tries to kill me. This is starting to feel like some kind of long-term Hunter interrogation.”

“You’re overthinking things,” Lumiere replied, sounding visibly exasperated. “I’m pretty sure he’s just trying to rile you up. Y’know, to get to know you better.”

Narrowing her eyes, the Warlock turned her head to look where Lumiere would usually hover at her side. “You think this is funny?”

“Hey, Vuul,” Gull called out while handing bundles of the disassembled research equipment to the waiting Titan. “I wouldn’t stand there if I were you.”

“Oh, and why is that?” Mira shouted back irritably.

Staring back at the Warlock for a few seconds silently, Gull only pointed to a spot at Mira’s feet. She looked down, noticing an active, blinking transmat beacon. Glancing back up at the Hunter, Mira opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by the sound of matter rematerialising just above her.

She looked up and, with a yelp, was hit from above by a pile of hollow Servitors - the same ones she had ripped apart just moments ago.

“Got as many as I could before I had to make myself scarce,” Gull’s Ghost announced, floating up from the edge of the plateau. “Hope it’s enough to-- oh. Oh dear,” the Ghost stammered when it noticed Mira’s form underneath the pile. “Gull, was that intentional?”

“...Maybe?”

Pulling herself out from under the Servitor husks, Mira dusted herself off just as Lumiere floated in front of her. “Now _that_ was funny.” he said with a chuckle.

“Oh, shut it, you.”

“Alright, people. Let’s get down this mountain before the Fallen catch us with our arms full.” Copperhead announced as he flew over to scan the remaining equipment lying in a pile, dematerialising it for transport.

“Mira, you mind rolling a few of those my way?” Gull asked, taking to one knee to remove the attachments on his rifle.

Her eyes flitting over to one of the nearby dead Servitors, an idea crossed the Sunsinger’s mind as she moved to stand behind it. Once in position, she struck the metal sphere with the heel of her boot, sending it flying straight at the Gunslinger.

The large, heavy orb managed to strike Gull square in the forehead just as he turned to face the Sunsinger, knocking the Hunter out cold instantly. The Servitor emanated a loud clang as it bounced away into the night, tumbling out of sight.

“Score!” Beta cheered, throwing his arms up in the air in excitement.

“Gull!” the Hunter’s Ghost exclaimed in shock as it darted over to him. “Gull, are you...ok, he’s just unconscious,” the Spark sighed. “Ok, who’s gonna carry him down?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ArcaneGlitch - https://twitter.com/arcaneglitch?lang=en (Twitter) & https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheWolfParadox (AO3)
> 
> dumbdestinynerd - https://twitter.com/dumbdestinynerd (Twitter)


	14. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Mira waits to learn what she has uncovered, Lumiere urges her to clear the air with Gull to avoid another life-or-death gamble - one they could both just as easily lose.

**Guardian Forward Post “Camp” Roman,** **Ridges of Eirene, Venus…**

“How long is this going to take, Lumiere?” the Warlock asked, staring into the multitude of active processing windows on her portable terminal. “Just...give me a rough estimate.”

“On its own? This thing could take up to eight hours to translate, sort and match all the data fragments into a legible data package,” the Ghost replied. “I, however, could get it done in about...twenty minutes? Give or take five minutes?”

“Do it. We need to know what the Fallen know before we make our next move.” Mira ordered.

A few seconds passed as Lumiere acted out his Guardian’s request, occasionally passing a scanning ray over the computer as he interfaced with the hardware to process the memory cores hooked up to it. Glancing around, he noticed the Warlock still sat nearby, her eyes tracking the datastream on the monitor. “Uh, good thing you insisted that we take that course on Eliksni language, huh?” he tried passing off the question as small talk. “Otherwise this would have taken a few hours.”

“Yes, well given our activities, I’d hoped to put those skills to good use in the field. Otherwise that would have been a waste of time.” she replied without taking her eyes off the monitor.

“Yeah, ha ha…” the awkward silence dragged on a few seconds longer before Lumiere decided it was enough. “...Are you just going to sit there and watch me work?”

In response, the Warlock gave a discomforted shrug. “What else would you have me do? I’ve cleaned the weapons, checked the armour and made copies of the field data.” she asked, ticking off each task on her fingers.

“What about...talking to your team?”

Mira gave her Ghost a look as if he had just asked her to walk off the edge of a cliff to pass the time. “You’re seriously still pushing me to do this?”

“This place is dangerous, Mira. I know I said we were fine before, but if something had gone wrong…”

“That’s why I’m coming up with contingency plans for our contingency plans,” Mira reasoned. “So we don’t have to rely on the goodwill of psychotic Hunters or lug nut Titans.”

“Mira, you know we can’t do this on our own,” the Ghost began. “You brought them here to help us, so let them.”

“I tried. You saw what almost happened.”

“You know what I think?” Lumiere asked rhetorically. “I think it’s an issue of trust that’s keeping us down. You don’t trust them and they don’t trust you.”

“...You’re only making that connection now?”

“What I mean is we’re no closer to finding out where that signal came from than when we started. If we get into another situation like back at The Slopes, we’re gonna need to work together to pull it off - and that takes trust.” Mira’s only response was to raise one of her eyebrows sardonically. “If you want this team to work for you, you’ve got to rebuild that trust - or, build that trust...there never really was much trust to begin with, was there?”

Mira breathed out an exasperated sigh. “Just tell me what you’d have me do.”

“Go talk to Gull. There’s obviously still a lot of tension between you two about what happened earlier.”

“Copperhead already chewed him out for it the whole way down. I think Gull’s done talking about that little incident.”

“That wasn’t talking. That was an angry Ghost ranting for nine and a half minutes straight.”

“Mmm I don’t know, I think he already said everything I wanted to tell the Gunslinger.”

“Well, you never know until you try,” Lumiere said with an air of finality as he turned back around. “Now shoo. You’re hardware’s talking to your hardware.”

Rolling her eyes, Mira pushed herself off and began walking towards the area of camp Gull had claimed for himself. All the while, the Awoken couldn’t shake the sense that her Ghost had been...irritated with her. It could have just been her imagination, but Lumiere had seemed quicker to dismiss her than usual.

She stowed that thought into the back of her mind as she caught sight of the Hunter, sitting on a rock by a clearing illuminated by a single worklight hooked up to a Glimmer generator. He was hunched forward and seemed to be focused on something laid out on a tarp before him.

“Gull.” Mira called out, stopping just at the edge of the light.

“Hello, Mira,” Gull replied without turning to address her. “Something you needed?”

“Just...wanted to...check on you,” Mira struggled with an appropriate response for the impromptu visit. “Data’s being sorted now, shouldn’t be too long before-- what the hell is that?”

This time, Gull looked over his shoulder, giving the Warlock a better look at what he was tinkering with. Among the mess of parts, oil and circuitry before him was what looked to be a Servitor, but not one the Sunsinger had ever seen before. It was only about a third of the size of a regular Servitor, and was an uneven mishmash of wiring and metal plates that looked part-Shank, part-Servitor, and part-junk.

“This,” Gull declared, dragging the Servitor along the ground by one of the hand grips bolted near its eye. “Is what I’ve been using those Servitor scraps for.”

“Are you...building a Servitor?” Mira asked with a look of abject disgust on her face.

“Only in body and blood, but not in spirit,” grabbing it with two hands, Gull lifted up the Frankenstein machine for Mira to see - exposed wiring and all. “Mira, meet Rubus Prime, reconnaissance and espionage drone.”

“Espionage?” Mira parroted quizzically. “I don’t claim to be any sort of expert in covert design, Gull, but there is nothing discreet about this... _ thing _ .”

“That’s cause it’s not finished yet,” Gull chided, releasing one of the grips and allowing the makeshift Servitor to dangle by his side. “‘Sides, it may not look pretty, but the Fallen won’t think twice if it looks enough like a regular Servitor.”

“It’s the size of a tyre and its chassis is made of scrap - there’s nothing ‘regular’ about it.”

“That’s because it’s not done yet,” Gull argued. “At a distance, the Fallen won’t be able to tell Rubus apart from a regular-size Servitor. As for the chassis, all I need to do is slap on a fresh coat of paint. Camouflage might be getting smarter, but nothing beats the classics.”

“Does it even light up?”

“Of course it does!” he shot back. “It just...needs a pilot.”

This time, Mira’s eyebrows arched up incredulously. “A  _ pilot _ ?”

“Look, I’ve been working on this thing for a year now. If there was an easier way to build a compatible AI or completely reprogram a Servitor, I would have done it, but…” he sighed, gesturing at the machine by his hip. “It’s just easier to have a Ghost pilot it.”

“But... _ why _ ?”

“Well, the alloy they use to make Servitor’s is surprisingly good at hiding a Ghost’s Light signature and-”

“No, I mean...why make it in the first place?”

Gull stared at Mira quietly for a few seconds. Then, as if he had just caught on to a joke, the Hunter scoffed out a laugh. “I thought it’d be pretty obvious. Stick a Ghost into one of these, sneak ‘em on board a Ketch and we’ve got a spy embedded in the Fallen’s home turf.”

“Unless the Fallen see right through your clever ‘disguise’,” Mira replied skeptically. “You might as well have just bought a plastic shell and painted it to look like a Servitor.”

“Oh, sure. As if all Servitors look exactly alike.” Gull said, rolling his eyes.

“Have you ever seen a Servitor that looked like  _ that _ ?”

“As a matter of fact: I have,” He paused, glancing down at the metal ball at his side. “Or, close enough-- it’s a work in progress.”

“Right…” she tilted her head to get a better angle and sense of the custom Servitor job. “How’d you manage to minaturise the weapon systems?”

“Oh, no. I got rid of that.”

“What? Why? How else is the Ghost supposed to defend itself if it’s made?”

“I already asked him that,” Gull’s Ghost added. “Would’ve been nice to shoot some Fallen, but he says-”

“The energy amplifiers they use are difficult to regulate. Something about the...AI or programming hardwired into the Servitors that I haven’t figured out yet. It’d cause a complete blowout if a Ghost tried to use it.”

“Perhaps your Ghost just needs a little training,” Gull frowned at the remark, taking it poorly. “What about matter transmutation?”

“Well, seeing as the only thing they seem to make is Ether, I thought I’d make more room for...other stuff.” Gull reasoned.

“Can this chassis of yours actually do anything?”

“...It floats.”

Mira couldn’t help but stare aghast at the Hunter for a second before shaking her head clear. “Right, well that sounds like more trouble than it’s worth. Um, if you’re planning to mass-produce these for regular Guardian use, don’t. You won’t have any takers.”

“Rubus will be plenty useful when it's done. And it’s not for sale; you don’t sell equipment you build with your own two hands.”

“You do if it’ll sell.” Mira countered.

Narrowing his eyes at the Warlock, Gull cocked his head to one side. “Was there a point to this conversation, Mira?”

“...No, I suppose there wasn’t,” the Warlock’s reply was frigid as she turned her back to leave. She barely made it two steps, however, before a feeling of guilt washed over her. With a sigh, she called out, “Gull.”

“What?” he snapped back.

“...About earlier,” she spun around to face him, only to find that she didn’t know how to follow up the sentence. Mira stood still, staring into the Hunter as she thought of the direction she wanted the conversation to go. “I-”

“Look, I went overboard,” Gull interrupted. “What I did was...risky. And not nearly worth the risk,” he gesticulated with a wave of one hand. “That was, uh, that was my bad.”

The Sunsinger’s jaw slackened just a bit as her eyes widened, taken by surprise with the Gunslinger’s lackluster apology. As indirect as it was, it was still an apology - and the last thing Mira had expected. “ _ Yeah _ , it really was,” the remark came automatically, and at Gull’s frown Mira quickly added, “ _ But _ , I suppose we wouldn’t have found ourselves in that situation if I had been a bit more...forthcoming...about things.”

As he held her gaze, Gull’s eyes flitted about while his mouth twitched, an expression of uncertainty on his face. “Did you mean it? What you said?”

The reminder of her recent outburst caused Mira to dart her gaze to the side, one hand coming up to rub the back of her neck. “...I’d say I spoke quite honestly...but not nearly enough for one to make a proper assessment of my profile.”

“Mira, there’s always more to a story than what someone tells you the first time. You don’t have to defend your story to an old Hunter,” walking back to the small stone under the light, Gull placed the small Servitor by his side and sat back down. He gave the Warlock an expectant look as he gestured to a barren spot at his side. “C’mon, I know you’re dying to tell it anyway.”

“I didn’t-”

“You didn’t have to. You’re standing in your...ranting posture,” the Warlock felt her face flush briefly as she straightened her stance and glared at the Gunslinger. “Come on. If you don’t  _ actually  _ want to talk then don’t, but you haven’t taken a break since we hiked back down,” grabbing a nearby metal, cylindrical canister, Gull held it up to the Warlock in offering. “Have a drink before you collapse on your feet.”

Though she put up a stubborn front, the mention of a drink made Mira realise just how dry her throat had become. With a reluctant sigh, she took the metal canister from Gull in one hand while the other pulled a folding chair out of transmat.

With a snap of her wrist, Mira unfolded the metal chair and placed it beside the Human. Mira let out a sigh of relief as she dropped into the seat, the fatigue of the past few hours catching up all at once.

“Oh, yeah. Feel free to doze off on me. Not like we’ll be catching many winks here anyway.” Gull commented, causing Mira’s eyes to snap open and glare at the Hunter.

“How much do you actually know about Sunsingers, Gull?” Mira was already feeling the urge to start another argument with the Hunter as she spoke. This time, though, she would be the one in control.

“Only about...three things, actually.” Gull admitted shamelessly, taking another sip of his beverage.

“Well, let me give you a brief summa-” Mira said as she twisted the lid of her canister, only to be cut off as the canister depressurised, blowing a puff of air in her face. A strong smell invaded her nostrils as she blinked away the water vapour and removed the lid to sniff the mouth of the canister. “Is this….milk?”

“Strawberry milk. Picked some up at The City before we left.” Gull affirmed with another sip from his flask.

“...How much of this did you bring?”

“Only about a gallon.”

“A  _ gallon _ ?! We had to pack light for the trip here and you thought to bring a gallon of artificially-sweetened milk?” Mira exclaimed in shock.

Gull only shrugged in response. “Rule number eleven of Hunter Field Survival: strawberry milk is comfort food. Bring as much as you need to keep your head level when in unknown frontiers. I brought a little extra.”

Scowling in annoyance, Mira looked down at the pink liquid in the shadow of the canister and downed half the contents in a single swig. “In that case, you won’t mind if I imbibe your supply every now and again,” she gasped when she was able to breathe again. “Now then, Sunsingers. Hands-down the hardest discipline a Warlock can train under,” Mira began, her voice slowly becoming invigorated with conviction. “You can’t begin to imagine all the steps involved in our training - the hours we put into studying the benevolent scriptures is insane.”

“Sounds like a lot of work just to set yourself on fire.” Gull commented with a chuckle.

“Excuse me?”

“I’m just saying, in the heat of battle it’s way more impressive to hurl a miniature black hole or whatever at your enemies than it is to sprout glowing wings and torch anything you touch.”

“Gull, being a Sunsinger is about...so much more than the wings or the fireballs. When we use our Radiance, we exhume the Traveller’s Light. Everything - me, the surroundings, even other Guardians - are bathed in Solar Light. Voidwalkers can manifest untold destruction, sure, but we act as literal conduits to a god.”

“So do I - every time I snap off those three golden shots.”

“It’s different,” she insisted. “Have you never noticed your focus growing sharper whenever I’ve gone Radiant near you? Or your pains lessen whenever you’re within my glow?”

Gull paused, furrowing his brow in thought. The sidelong look the Hunter gave her was all she needed to know he was recollecting those memories.

“That’s what being a Sunsinger is: a channel for the Light in its natural form. We’re not even sure what the true extent of a Sunsinger’s power  _ is _ .” Mira gave a giddy chuckle as she spoke that brought the slightest of grins to the Hunter’s face.

“Sounds like we could really use more of you.” he replied honestly.

“Not many Warlocks are cut out for it, unfortunately,” Mira admitted. “It’s...quite a task opening ourselves up to the secrets of the Light. Our senses need to be trained and fine-tuned to hear the melody carried in the Traveller’s luminescent winds. We need to understand it, strengthen our connection to it. It comes almost instinctively to some. I, for one, currently hold the record as the youngest Guardian to complete their Sunsinger training under Ikora.”

“Not to brag, right?” Gull added sarcastically.

“Actually, this  _ is  _ me bragging - but you wouldn’t hold it against me if you knew the discipline training I had to go through. Let me put it this way: the crux of a Sunsinger’s power comes from emotive responses. Every feeling and emotion we experience taps into a different aspect of our power.”

“Is this your way of telling me that being an icy, irritating brat actually gives you a tactical advantage?” Gull asked, only half-serious.

“You know, I might just accidentally incinerate you if you keep throwing jabs at me. It’d certainly be considered an ‘emotive response’ by Sunsinger standards,” Mira threatened casually. Gull’s only response was to lean back, pressing his lips into a tight line as Mira continued. “We spend months, sometimes years learning how to temper the Light flowing through us through songs and spells. Lesser Guardians would tell you that the Light represents order and the Darkness chaos. The Sunsingers know that Light is both order  _ and  _ chaos. Undisciplined, unstable Sunsingers are as much a danger to themselves as they are to everyone around them. Conduits of power though we may be, we’re not as immune to the Light’s ferocity as one might think. That’s why we have to be aware of every emotion we feel and temper it when necessary.”

Gull seemed to think on this for a moment as his eyes met Mira’s. “Is that why you do it? You go around working your charm to chase your emotional high? Or is it to blow off steam when you’re not being a smartass?”

The quick retort Mira had on her tongue died like a spark as she registered the Hunter’s words. Her eyebrows narrowed in thought as she considered the new possibility, looking back on her past actions in a new light. “I...I’ve actually never thought of it like that.”

Looking on at the lost, confused expression on Mira’s face, Gull’s expression softened. “I may not be an expert on Warlock stuff, but I know an escape habit when I see one. Yours just...happens to put the cost on others.”

“When you put it like that, it makes me sound selfish.” she muttered, wrapping her arms around her knees.

“How else did you think this would look on you?” the Gunslinger pressed. “Being a Guardian doesn’t give you any special exceptions when it comes to the delicate Human things.”

“Well maybe it should,” Mira countered. “We’re not Human - not anymore. Why should we abide by the mortal standards of things like relationships and social hierarchy when we won’t die?” she shook her head vehemently. “We weren’t brought back to be mortals; to learn, love, age and wither. We’re meant to unlock the secrets of the universe - to fight enemies of unimaginable power and magnitude. Love has no place in our lives.”

Gull’s expression turned thoughtful as his gaze dropped to the canister in his hands. He rubbed one thumb along its chrome surface as he breathed out a resigned sigh. “Maybe you’re right,” he muttered, raising his head to look at her as he held the canister in an outstretched hand. Mira took a moment to recognise the somber gesture before she tapped her flask to Gull’s, both taking another sip simultaneously. “Though, I have to say, I never thought you’d have a thing for Hunters.”

“Ok, look-- see,” Mira stammered, sitting upright and holding out an accusing finger at the Human. “That’s just coincidence.”

“Two is a coincidence. Three is a pattern,” Gull shot back. “And those are just the ones I’ve heard about.”

“Then it’s causality,” Mira corrected herself. “Just goes to show: Hunters are easy.”

“Yeah, and Warlocks are desperate.” Gull countered with a smirk.

“Hey, at least I’m not choosy. You should see some of the colleagues I associate with - absolute refusal to socialise with anyone above or below their IQ margins.” Mira chuckled along.

Gull let out a jovial laugh before finishing off the last of his milk. “Sounds like some Warlocks I know. The same kind that insist on explaining themselves in three different languages.”

“I’ve been there,” Mira nodded. “Honestly, though, Hunters are just more fun. Some Titans were...ok, but a little rigid. Warlocks, though,” the indigo-haired Awoken shuddered. “Some of them can literally hold a grudge forever.”

“So what you’re saying is...Hunters are the best.” Gull conceded.

The smile that crossed Mira’s face then was genuine. “The best company, at least.”

“Eh, I’ll take what I can get.”

An electronic cough broke the silence as Lumiere drifted into sight from behind Mira. “Excuse me. Just wanted to let you know that the data de-fragging is done.”

“And? What did you find?” Mira asked eagerly, her eyes going wide with curiosity.

“Um, not a lot of outright useful information, but it is interesting that the Fallen pulled  _ this  _ of all things from the Vex network.” Lumiere explained, shining a transmission beam into Mira’s wrist-link.

Holding it up with a frown, she activated its projection function to display the information in the open. What she saw were several lines of what she first thought was a coded message, but upon closer inspection, revealed itself to be language. “It’s German. An older dialect.”

“Can you translate it?” Gull asked, eagerly leaning forward to read the mirrored text from the front.

“The Vanguard’s database doesn’t have a translation cipher for this dialect. I, however, took a class. It says…‘The snake that cannot shed its skin has to die’.”

“A riddle?” Gull inquired.

“Oh, we’re screwed,” his Ghost chimed in. “I’m terrible at riddles, and Quickdraw here couldn’t rhyme to save his life.”

“There’s more,” Mira interjected, eyes fixed to the holographic projection. “‘There are no beautiful surfaces without great depth’,” the Warlock glanced at her Ghost questioningly, to which the Spark only shrugged its shell. She continued reading. “‘He who cannot give, also cannot feel’.”

“Why would the Vex have old Earth riddles in their network?” Gull’s Ghost asked aloud.

“They’re not riddles - they’re proverbs; musings on the nature of life and existence,” Mira quirked an eyebrow in Gull’s direction. “Could the Vex be trying to understand how we think?”

“If they are they’re going about it in a very roundabout way.” the Hunter muttered.

“This expedition only presents us with more questions, it seems.” the Sunsinger mused.

“Yeah, and none of them give us any clue as to where to go next.”

“I wouldn’t say that,” Lumiere interrupted. “Turns out a couple of the Servitors you cracked open have been scouting the Highlands for quite some time. I managed to piece together their reconnaissance data and used it to determine where they’ve been with ninety-two point six percent accuracy. Both have been to one particular location multiple times,” he turned to look at Mira. “It stands to reason that it could be a Fallen base - or at the very least a point of interest.”

“Is it nearby?” Mira asked.

“Only about three kilometres from The Slopes - due West.” Lumiere replied, projecting a map between the two Guardians of their position in relation to their destination.

“No way that’s a coincidence.” Gull murmured.

The Warlock contemplated the map for a moment before cocking her head in Gull’s direction. “Go get Beta. We leave in one hour.”

* * *

**Hours** **later...**

A good distance from the edge of the cliff, the mouth of a cavern on the other side of the ravine was illuminated by a series of lights, shining beams that criss-crossed one another. Just beyond it, Mira could barely make out the silhouette of a large gate of Fallen design blocking the cave entrance.

“Guards, lights, proximity mines along the walls,” Gull listed as he searched the area through the scope of his sniper rifle. “No doubt about it. The Fallen have a stronghold here.”

“It’s hardly a surprise - or a coincidence. The House of Winter was bound to start salvaging Vex parts to retrofit into their arsenal,” Mira mused. “Anything to give them an edge against us.”

“How many do you think are in there?” Lumiere asked.

“Assuming these are the same Fallen that are holding The Slopes, I’d say we’d probably be walking in on a small army,” Copperhead replied, looking through one side of a binocular held up by Beta. “Enough to staff a Ketch, maybe.”

“It’s also the most likely place they’re keeping the rest of their intel on that signal,” Mira added. “Quite a dilemma.”

“That entrance looks sturdy, and we have no idea what kind of firepower they’re packing within,” Gull thought aloud. “And if Tethriks is home, he could be a problem.”

“Well, that throws a frontal assault out of the window,” Lumiere added, turning to face his Guardian. “Our best bet would be to scope the place out for a back entrance or a natural passage into the cavern, and then-”

“Never say die, gamers!” Beta suddenly yelled, drawing everyone’s attention as he charged off the cliff. Arc energy jumped from his body as he soared through the air for a few seconds before diving down with a burst of Arc Light. “For the wall!”

Faintly, Mira heard the alarmed chattering of the Fallen below right as Beta curved his trajectory, sending him right into the cavern. There was a crash as the Titan slammed into the cavern’s gate, followed by a shockwave of Arc energy before the valley fell silent.

And then the alarms started blaring.

“Well? Don’t just stand there you two!” Copperhead shouted over the team frequency. “Neither of you are ever gonna beat our killcount at this rate.”

Acting on instinct, Gull growled as he readied his hand cannon and leapt off the cliff, aiming for the mouth of the cavern.

“That Ghost is either crazy or suicidal,” Lumiere lamented. “I’m not sure which I prefer.”

Gunshots could be heard echoing in the distance as Mira drew her rifle, taking a couple of steps back with a sigh. “Frontal assault it is.” she murmured before taking off at a sprint.


	15. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fireteam Roman storms the House of Winter's stronghold in search of their next lead, cutting down any Fallen that stand in their way.

**Zenith Hold, Aphrodite Highlands, Venus…**

“Watch the left, Beta!” Copperhead warned just as a Vandal with an Arc Spear charged the Titan. Just as the Fallen came within striking distance, one of Beta’s arms caught the side of the spear’s blade as they flailed about wildly in his rapid spinning. The metal blade snapped in half where Beta’s fist collided with it as the Titan continued to spin right into the Fallen. With his other closed fist, Beta sent the alien sprawling to the ground with a single punch carrying the force of a sack of bricks.

“Oh, I’m getting dizzy!” Beta blubbered as the momentum had him reeling from the motion.

“You got him, Beta. Only one target left.” Copperhead declared as the Exo’s vision cleared up enough to locate his next target: A Captain with a Scorch Cannon.

The Titan had already bulldozed his way through the rest of the Fallen forces on this ridge, leaving only the Captain left. Even now, it proved a formidable opponent – firing a barrage of low-power shots at Beta as it retreated. He managed to avoid taking any direct hits but still staggered when a couple blasts came too close.

Beta saw his opportunity when the Captain withdrew to let his cannon cool down. Scanning the floor, the Titan grabbed the corpse of a Dreg and charged the Captain. As it raised its cannon to take another shot, Beta hurled the body in front of him just as the molten projectile was launched. The resulting cloud of debris and smoke provided Beta with enough cover to close the gap with the Captain and strike it across the face with his elbow, finishing it off with a Storm Fist to the alien’s gut.

“Artillery on the ridge is clear. You guys should be able to move up now.” Copperhead announced over the squad frequency.

“Nice work you two,” Gull’s Ghost responded. “Find your way to the second waypoint, we’ll meet you there.”

“No need. We’re coming to you.” Beta announced, much to Copperhead’s surprise. The Ghost quickly understood what his Guardian had in mind as he grabbed the Captain’s limp body and began approaching the ridge’s edge.

“Beta, we’re in a firefight twenty feet below you. As much as I’d like the extra help, the Fallen will gun you down before your body even reaches the ground.”

“We know – that’s why it’s not going to be a soft landing.” Copperhead replied smugly.

“You don’t have enough strength for another Fist of Havoc, how are you-”

“Watch out below – everything’s gonna be real shiny for a hot second.” Beta warned as he materialised a Flash Grenade in his free hand. Priming it, the Striker dropped it over the edge to clatter to the battle below. He followed suit not a moment later as he leapt off the edge with the Captain held out in front of him.

At some point, the Eliksni heavy gunner regained enough consciousness to let out a terrified scream as it saw the rapidly approaching cavern floor, but could only flail its arms aimlessly as a bright explosion blinded everyone just as Beta felt the impact of the ground beneath him.

Or, rather, beneath the Captain beneath him.

Beta attempted to stand to his feet, but a simple mental command from Copperhead compelled him to stay prone as bullets whizzed over his head and gunshots could be heard from both sides. A few grunts and pained screams – both alien and human – could be heard as the shooting died down. The Titan only opened his eyes when everything fell silent.

“Are all the aliens dead?” Beta shouted in the direction where Gull and Mira were taking cover, staring down the sights of their weapons from behind cover.

“Gull?” Mira asked, rapidly tracking her aim left and right.

“…Looks clear.” Gull announced after a moment, stepping out of cover to go help Beta up.

“Aw, I wanted to shoot some more aliens.” Beta whined with a sulking pout.

Just as Gull looked like he was going to say something, his head cocked up at a distant sound to Beta’s back. Shoving the Striker to one side, the Gunslinger drew his Hand Cannon again and fired on a group of Fallen pouring out of a high opening in the wall of the cave.

“Aah- they’re not dead!” Beta yelled in a panic as the Warlock stepped up to cover him. As Beta fumbled to reload his Auto Rifle, Gull and Mira advanced at a slow walk, constantly searching the blue-tinged cavern walls around them for Fallen lurking in the shadows.

“We’ll take point. Beta – you bring up the rear!” Mira called back as she and Gull continued their advance.

“Yeah. Ok.” Beta replied shakily as he searched the dark ridges and passageways behind them. “I’m c-c-cool with that.”

“Oh, don’t be such a baby. Your eyes can adjust to low light!” Copperhead scolded as the Titan’s rifle shook in his hands.

“But it’s _so_ scary when they just jump out of nowhere - like in those scary movies in The City.”

“Beta, we deal with so much worse on a weekly basis,” Mira deadpanned. “How can you even compare-”

“It’s scary! You guys know I don’t like the dark. Or enclosed spaces. Especially dark, enclosed spaces.”

“Well make sure nothing sneaks up behind us so we can get this done fast.” Gull reassured as they began to move up an incline in the cavern.

Looking over his shoulder, Beta noticed that the other Guardians were a good distance away from him, advancing at a much faster pace than him. “Hey-- guys, wait up!” he called out, scrambling to catch up. Breaking out into a run, the Titan almost missed the two cloaked Reaver Vandals clinging to the cavern wall just ahead of Mira and Gull. They leapt simultaneously with their Shock Blades drawn just as the Warlock and Hunter passed beneath them.

Acting on reflex, Beta raised his rifle and fired a burst while maintaining his sprint, hitting the first Vandal square in the chest. Though he couldn’t line up a second shot on the other Fallen, Beta instead barrelled his way past the Warlock and swung his gun like a club. The impact caught the Vandal in the side – completely by surprise, knocking it to the ground as Beta drew his shotgun in one hand and blasted the Fallen in the chest.

With the threat averted, Beta looked up to see the stunned stances of his helmeted companions. “Guys, look out!” he called out in a delayed warning.

Walking up to him, Gull gave Beta a solid pat on the shoulder as he passed. “Thanks for the head’s up, Beta.”

“No problem, Gull!” the Striker replied with a cheery salute.

As she passed him, Mira lightly placed her hand on Beta’s other shoulder – a gesture he barely felt, but one that made his face light up in a smile.

It did not take long for the three Guardians to reach the end of the cavern, gunning down any Fallen in their path. Gull was the first to advance into the next portion of the cave as he clambered through the opening in the wall the Fallen had poured through.

“We’ll go next, Mira,” Copperhead offered as a series of gunshots echoed in the cavern a second later. “Can’t let our kill count fall too far behind.”

“Is this even a real competition to you?” she asked sceptically. “One moment you’re throwing your Guardian into the fray in order to get a ‘head start’, and the next you’re letting us take point?”

“We don’t play for the competition,” the Ghost scoffed. “We play for the sport.”

“And a sport’s not fun if you always win.” Beta finished monotonously.

“No, a sport’s not fun if you don’t play it consistently.” Mira muttered under her breath.

“That’s rich; _you_ of all people telling me how to have fun.” Copperhead replied, the eye-roll clear in his voice, just as Beta moved through the tunnel into the next cave section. The area opened up into what Copperhead immediately assumed to be a training ground.

Whatever it was supposed to be, it was a battlefield now.

Along the edge of the cavern, Gull fired down on the entrenched Fallen while running along the wall’s slope. With his Auto Rifle at the ready, the Titan took a more direct approach as he made his way into the thick of the fray, firing wildly and occasionally shouting ‘Pew! Pew!’ whenever he pulled the trigger.

Most of his shots didn’t find their mark, but it served to keep the Fallen behind cover as Mira entered the cave and glided over the Fallen to flank them.

Soon, what few Fallen that weren’t pinned down by gunfire fled through three well-lit tunnels on the far end of the cavern.

The shooting died down as Gull and Mira finished off the last few wounded Fallen, abruptly ending with one final hiss of depressurised Ether. Mira ordered Gull to take a sweep of the area for any Fallen hiding in wait as she regrouped with Beta at the centre of the cavern – next to an Ether dispenser leaking from stray bullet holes.

“This part of the cave is clear,” Gull reported as he returned to the rest of the Fireteam. “From the number of bodies, I’d say that only about a quarter of the Fallen here got away.”

“Something’s off,” Mira pondered as she reloaded her Scout Rifle. “A Fallen stronghold of this size is designed to support a much larger force. The resistance we’ve encountered so far is only about a third of the opposition Guardians usually face at the Devils’ Lair,” she glanced about the place, eyeing the dead Fallen that lay scattered. “So where are all the Fallen?”

“It’s possible that this is just a detachment of the House of Winter – affiliated to a specific Baron or cell rather than serving as a base for the whole House.” Gull suggested.

“Tethriks?” Lumiere clarified.

Gull gave a subtle nod. “It’s also possible that the bulk of their forces are out at the moment, and that we caught them at a bad time,” Gull gestured with his gun towards the east. “If this is the same group of Fallen that’re holding The Slopes, these could just be the grunts left to guard the hold…”

“Meaning we should speed up – just in case someone gets out a call for help.” Mira affirmed, her thoughts returning to the task at hand.

“Ghost?” the Hunter asked.

“Signal jammer is still holding, but I have no idea how many frequencies they could be transmitting across. Wide-band might not be able to block them all.”

“Alright, then. Three tunnels,” Gull observed, stepping up to Mira’s side. “If my guess is right, there should still be a workshop and artillery stockpile to clear out – not sure which goes where,” he stepped up towards the central tunnel, which morphed from a stone slope into metal stairs partway up. “And this should lead to the command centre.”

“Divide and conquer. I’ll take the tech lab.” Mira stated before starting for the tunnel on the right. She stopped halfway there before backpedalling and sprinting to the left. “Uh…this way!” she corrected as she barrelled down the tunnel.

Gull shook his head at the spot the Warlock disappeared before turning to address Beta. “I’ll clear the right – make sure they don’t have any surprises waiting in store for us. You,” his tone became a little more playful. “Get the fun part.”

“Does the fun part involve apples? Or puppies?”

“The fun part involves you smashing your way through whatever the Fallen have prepared up that tunnel and making sure that they’re all nice and quiet when Mira and I arrive,” the Hunter took off at a jog towards the tunnel on the right, spinning around on the spot one last time as he hefted his Hand Cannon to his shoulder. “Don’t let us down.”

“I won’t!” Beta called back as Gull disappeared. The Exo turned to where his Ghost floated nearby. “I’m not going to let them down.”

“Let’s just make sure you don’t hurt yourself.” Copperhead consigned as he dematerialised. Together, the two ascended the flight of stairs until they caught sight of its end – and the command centre just beyond.

Unfortunately, the Fallen saw them coming and were able to seal the doors before Beta could enter. Immediately after, second set of doors closed over the first.

“Siege doors. It’d take an industrial laser drill just to make a hole in this,” Copperhead explained after quickly scanning the door. “Mira or Gull probably have something they could use to cut it, but for now it looks like we’re-” the Ghost was interrupted by a cavern-shaking pound against the door. He turned to see his Guardian bringing both of his fists down against the siege doors. “What do you think you’re doing, Beta?”

“I. Won’t. Let. Them. Down!” Beta chanted with each hit.

“That door is made of refined relic iron, you nitwit! Your bare fists aren’t even going to leave a-” a different pitch to the pounding drew Copperhead’s attention to the knuckle-deep indentation in the metal plates. “Dent…Ok, I stand corrected – keep going!”

With that, Beta’s fists met the surface of the door at increasing speed, windmill-swinging his arms fast enough to send sparks flying as his Ghost cheered him on. Eventually, once the doors were sufficiently bent out of shape, the Striker drew both of his arms back by his sides, the hydraulics in his arms whirring as he prepared to strike.

Then, with one full-body motion, Beta sent the two halves of the door flying off the wall.

A couple Shanks on the other side were immediately crushed when Beta sent the doors flying. Only a few Fallen stood their ground and as the Striker charged into the room, while the others fled or withdrew to safer cover.

Beta moved so quickly it hardly mattered. With his shotgun in hand, he rushed every Fallen he saw, shrugging off any shots that hit him as he blasted each with a round from his shotgun up-close. When his gun eventually clicked empty, he resorted to using his Stormfists to deliver Arc-charged punches.

The last few Fallen retreated towards an escape hatch along the side of the command centre, only to find that it would not open when they approached.

“I don’t think so,” Copperhead taunted from the control panel, the Fallen turning to watch he activated the door’s deadlock. “You should’ve run when you had the chance, now you-- hey!” the Ghost vanished when one of the Dregs took a swipe at him with a Shock Dagger. “Rude. Beta, take ‘em out.”

“No problema, C-Man.” Beta replied, loading his shotgun one shell at a time as he approached the remaining Fallen, cowering and attempting to pry off the door.

Without a second thought, he cocked the shotgun and got to work.

* * *

When Gull and Mira finally arrived at the command centre, the only thing still walking around was the Striker, who went about picking up and piling the Fallen corpses in one corner.

“Not bad,” Mira complimented, slinging her rifle over her shoulder as she walked up to the command console. “Most of the structure is still in operable condition.”

“Well, we know how much you hate collateral,” Copperhead mused as he floated to the Warlock’s side. “Not that we care, I just made a note of it.”

“I’ll search the remaining holds. You do what you need to,” Gull said to Mira before turning to Beta. “Stay here and protect Mira. I’ll yell if I run into trouble.”

“Roger, roger.” Beta replied as Gull padded across the cave floor towards one of the adjacent hatches in the command centre.

“Alright, let’s see what we can find,” Mira declared excitedly, removing her helmet and placing it on top of the main console as she activated it. Lumiere appeared a moment later to help her sift through the data on a separate operating window.

“Uh…anything I can do?” Copperhead asked after a couple seconds.

“Search one of the secondary terminals for anything on anomalous signals, Vex, Golden Age tech or…anything unusual I guess.”

“ _Anything unusual_ ,” the bronze Ghost parroted in a mocking tone, which earned him a leer from the Awoken. “Alright, alright. It’s a wide search parameter, is all.”

“Well, I’m searching for something of unknown origin, purpose or make, so a wide search parameter would be preferable,” she waved off the Ghost as she finished. “Get going.”

Grumbling nonsense, Copperhead gingerly floated over to the nearest wall-mounted terminal he could find and began accessing its archives. Looking through the most recent data entries, the Ghost immediately knew that this would be a very boring search. Most of the data input on this terminal were communication logs or memos between Fallen operatives stationed at this outpost, aptly named ‘Zenith Hold’.

After a couple minutes of fruitless searching, Copperhead noticed as Gull strolled back in with his hands at his sides – secretly glad for the distraction. “Rest of the stronghold is cleared. No sign of the Baron, but I don’t think he’s in.”

“All the more reason to wrap things up.” Mira mused.

The Hunter grunted in agreement as he stepped up beside the Warlock. “Anything useful?”

“Useful is a relative term,” Mira shook her head. “This terminal has information on the location of other Winter outposts, datalogs on Skiff flight charts and access codes to any number of locked doors, but I can’t find anything on our mystery signal.”

“Try running a search for information on the Fallen’s operations in The Slopes: what are they after, what have they found-”

“I’ve already tried that. From the outset it looks like the Fallen are just running a seek-and-destroy operation on the Vex there,” Mira explained. “For some reason, their activity there has gradually died down over the years.”

Gull turned away for a moment as he began pacing around the map table. “From what I’ve heard, Tethriks usually plays his motives close to the chest; doesn’t let anyone – not even his top brass – know the full extent of his plans. That’s one of the reasons he’s so high on the Hunter hitlist,” Gull pondered allowed. “If he knows anything, it’s going to be on his personal terminal.”

“And if it’s not?”

“Then he’s probably got a portable telemetry device that he’s keeping his data on. Which means that if we want it, we’ll just have to wait for him to show up so we can…ask nicely,” Gull offered with a huff. “That or House Winter really has no idea about what we’re after.”

“Alright. Then let’s look for his personal terminal.”

“I think I already found it.”

The two other Guardians followed the Gunslinger down one of the branching corridors to a shiny sealed door higher in the cave structure.

“I’d bet on this being Tethriks’ room, given that it’s the only custom-rigged door in this whole fort. Only problem is that it’s locked from the inside with no access terminal or lock to pick.”

“Shouldn’t be a problem,” the Warlock turned to the Titan. “Beta, would you mind?”

“Don’t worry, ma’am. The Beta Tauri and Co. locksmith services will have this open in a jiffy.” Beta proclaimed while cracking the servos in his hands.

“Y’know for once, that might not actually be such a good idea,” Copperhead called out as he darted down the tunnel. “That door is rigged with an anti-theft system that burns the Baron’s personal terminal if we force it open.”

“That’s a very specific claim – how do you know that?” Mira asked sceptically.

“That useless secondary terminal I was reading through? It had a chain of messages between Dregs on it,” the Ghost explained as he floated to a stop before the group. “Seems whenever they’re not pillaging old ruins here, they’re either gossiping or plotting to break into the Baron’s quarters.”

“Alright, so how do we get in?” Gull asked.

“There are three hidden panels along the frame of the door. Each of them is hiding a release lever that needs to be pulled simultaneously to depress the door’s automatic lock.” At each point on the door, Copperhead shone a scanning beam that revealed the outline of each hidden lever.

“They’re quite far apart. Looks like it’ll take all three of us to get this open.” Gull pointed out.

“Well, it’s designed so that only a Baron-sized Fallen could open it.”

“Alright. Everyone pick a lever and we’ll pull on three.” Mira reasoned as the Guardians got into position.

“Everyone ready?”

“I think this is it.”

“Alright, one, two…three!”

Beta and Gull stumbled back as Ether vapour hissed out of the sides of the door as it parted, revealing a spacious set of personal quarters seemingly cut into the cave.

“That didn’t seem so hard. Wonder why the Baron’s underlings had such trouble with it?” Mira pointed out.

“Do you know how hard it is to get three Dregs to split a haul?” Copperhead asked rhetorically as he darted into the room to begin scanning its environment.

“Was there anything else on the terminal that might indicate what the Baron’s ambitions were?” Mira asked as she peered into a metal chest against the wall.

“Not really, other than the fact that he seems to be committing every thug the House of Winter will give him into this operation,” Copperhead replied as he began interfacing with the nearby wall terminal. “Aaand it’s locked. Why am I not surprised?”

“Son of a bitch.” the Ghost heard Gull mutter nearby as he stood before a metal plate affixed to the wall. Adorning the metal plate were three Hunter Cloaks, pinned to the plate with a knife.

Broken _Hunter_ knives.

“I knew some of these cloaks…” Gull murmured as he ran his fingers through the fabric of a Cloak of Repair. “And that bastard just hangs them up like trophies.” He growled with barely concealed rage as his hand clenched around the cloth.

“Not like we don’t do the same.” Copperhead pointed out despondently.

The rip of cloth was loud in the enclosed space as Gull tore the cloak free, now with a sizable tear near its cowl. He spun around to point an assertive finger at the Warlock. “Get what you need, then we’re out of here. One way or another I’m going to make sure these cloaks get back home.”

“We can leave as soon as we find-” Mira was interrupted as she shoved parts of a Scorch Cannon off a wall-mounted shelf, only to freeze at an unusual clattering coming from the cannon’s empty fusion chamber when it hit the ground. It rattled like a dice cup instead of the usual hollow ring an empty fusion chamber would make. “Hello, what’s this?”

Mira crouched down by the metal part, picking it up and shaking its contents out onto the rusted shelf. Two black deltahedrons fell to the shelf – each no larger than the core of a Ghost, but as Mira went to pick one up, she gasped with understanding.

“Cipher Hedrons!” she exclaimed.

“What now?” Copperhead asked, floating closer.

“I-I’ve only seen them once before,” Mira stammered out as she examined each device individually. “Golden Age data storage devices with electro-sensitive nodes along its surface that correspond to predetermined three-dimensional pattern locks!”

“…Ok, can you try running that by me again, but this time without all the Warlock jimmer-jammer?”

Groaning at the Ghost, Mira began running her fingers along the edges of the shapes, which began glowing orange at her touch. “They’re data drives that can only be unlocked when the right pattern is traced on its surface.” She explained, flipping one corner open when she twisted the shape’s face.

“Can you unlock it?” Lumiere asked off to the side.

“I’m not sure,” Mira admitted. Picking up the other Cipher Hedron, she held the two in one hand only to be startled when they magnetically stuck together. With no other clues to lead with, she began fiddling with the two puzzle boxes, finding that when together, there were more panels and parts that could be shifted and rearranged. “These things are notoriously hard to crack. The solution could be any one in any…twenty-thousand seven-hundred and thirty-six possible-”

Folding the two halves of the top Cipher Hedron into the shape of a flower blooming in inverse, the merged devices let out a positive beep as they began projecting a beam of light into the air. Mira was so startled by this development that she almost dropped the Cipher Hedrons as her eyes locked on the projection.

“Bloody hell.” She murmured in amazement.

“How…how did you get that on your first try?” Copperhead asked in amazement.

“Hell if I know!” Mira exclaimed, equally amazed.

Just then, a garbled burst of static emanated from the conjoined Hedrons, giving way to a distorted voice that spoke in time with a pulsing display in the projection. “ _-Ott ist tot. Aber angesichts des Weges der Menschen bleibt sein Schatten noch Tausende von Jahren bestehen. Und wir müssen auch n-n-noch seinen Schatten besiegen._ ”

“What’s it saying?” Gull asked impatiently.

“It’s speaking Old German. Hang on, let me record this.” Mira quickly replied.

“I’m already recording it, Sunshine.” Copperhead added.

“ _Leben heißt leiden, überleben heißt, i-i-im Leiden einen Sinn zu finden_.” The voice continued.

“Wait,” Mira exclaimed, though her downcast gaze gave Copperhead the impression she was talking aloud. “Where have I heard that before?”

“ _Ich lehre dich jenseits des Menschen. D-der Mensch ist etwas, das übertroffen werden soll. Was hast du getan, um ihn zu übertreffen_?”

Mira’s eyes widened with a revelation. “It…can’t be.”

“What- what is it?” Gull pressed.

“It’s…Nietzsche?”

Just then, the Hunter’s Ghost burst into the room, phasing into its Guardian as it flew into him. “Times up! Turns out the Fallen were able to get a distress signal out after all. Backup’s already here.”

The projection faded as Mira folded up the Cipher Hedrons and quickly stowed them away in transmat. “Gull, this could be the clue we’ve been looking for. The key to-”

“Talk later – escape now!” the Hunter grunted urgently, grabbing the Sunsinger in one hand and the last Hunter cloak in the other as he raced back into the command centre.

Beta and Mira made a beeline for the doorway that would lead them back into the cave system, only for the Warlock to slow to a stop when she noticed the Hunter had stopped. “Come on, Gull. Let’s go!”

“We are - through there.” He shot back, nodding towards the cave wall.

“You want us to run through three feet of solid stone?” Mira scoffed out a laugh. “I mean, so long as Beta takes the lead-”

“That’s not stone.” Gull murmured, drawing his Hand Cannon and firing on the far wall.

The wall shattered where the bullets hit, spiderweb cracks spreading out from each point of impact. That was when the image of the stone wall began to flicker and stutter in a multitude of colours, flashing in a panic after the sudden attack.

“Guess they got their hands on some of our camouflage tech,” Gull stated as he walked over to the damaged glass just as it powered down, allowing the Guardians to see the world beyond. “Knock out a section of the wall overlooking the canyon and replace it with refractive glass. Clever.” He mused.

Just then, the sounds of footsteps coming up the main corridor echoed through the cavern. “Then that’s our escape,” Mira declared as she shouldered her rocket launcher. With one round, Mira knocked out most of the glass in a shower that flung out enough that Gull had to hold his cloak out to shield him from the fragments. “Everyone out the window!” she yelled, taking off at a run.

Beta wasn’t far behind as shouts of angry Eliksni could be heard from behind them. Sprinting for the opening, the Titan leapt blindly as Arc rounds whizzed by his head. He activated his Lift jets a second later as he followed Mira’s glowing figure through the dark, landing with a hard roll when they touched down on the other side of the canyon.

“Everyone clear?” Lumiere asked after a second.

“Uh, not quite,” Gull’s worried voice drew their attention to the Hunter’s distant figure as he used his second then third air jump just to maintain his height. “I don’t think I’m going to make it.”

“C’mon, Gull,” Mira whispered fearfully. “Just a little further.”

“I can’t close the distance!” Gull’s rapidly approaching form yelled just as he came within arm’s reach. He flew right into the wall of the canyon before sliding down into the darkness below. “Argh, shi-”

Mira was a blur as she dove by Beta for the cliff’s edge, reaching out a hand as more than half her body slid over the edge. “I got you, Gull!” she yelled as she struggled to pull the Gunslinger up by one arm. “Beta, get my legs and give me a pu-- aaaaal!” the Warlock yelped as both she and Gull were thrown backwards, tumbling head-over-heels through the air in two complete rotations before falling back to the mossy ground.

Gull was the first to start moving again as the Hunter rolled onto his side in a coughing fit. One hand was on the side of his hip that had hit the ground as he sat up, giving Beta a thumbs-up while wincing. “Thanks.” He wheezed out.

“No problem, Gull.” Beta replied as Mira let out a pained groan. Beta walked over to help the Warlock to her feet but stopped when Mira quickly held out a hand.

“That won’t be necessary!” Mira rushed out as she pushed herself to her feet. “You alright, Gull?”

“Yeah. I think I just landed on a-” Mira let out a startled gasp when she noticed the splatter of blood coating the ground at Gull’s side. “Sharp rock. Damn,” Gull let out a hiss of pain as he allowed a finger to trace the wound. “Punctured the padding.”

“No time to bleed out. We gotta get out of here before-” Copperhead was interrupted when the Guardians were hit by several spotlights from above. Squinting against the glare of the lights, Beta realised they were coming from a single Skiff that had descended above them.

“I can hold off any ground troops they deploy. You and Beta just get Gull to safety.” Mira ordered as she readied her Scout Rifle. That idea was short lived, however, when the Skiff turned its forward guns on the three Guardians and immediately began opening fire.

“Beta!” Copperhead cried out as he went into phase just as Beta was struck by an Arc Battery charge.

Mira managed to hold her ground for a few seconds longer as she returned fire with her rifle, which had little to no effect as she was subsequently blown off her feet by another blast.

Over the cacophony of explosions, Beta faintly heard Gull murmur something before he was suddenly blazing with Solar Light. A moment later, three golden streaks struck the Skiff – right where one of its engines were.

There was a beat of silence after the last golden round struck before the engine ruptured, billowing out a cloud of fire and smoke. The Skiff couldn’t maintain its hover, spiralling out of control and passing beyond sight into the canyon.

“Oh, man,” Gull breathed out as the Solar flames died out around his Hand Cannon. “I am so glad that worked.”

The moment was followed by an explosion as the Skiff crashed into the bottom of the canyon. The ground shook violently for a couple of seconds before the night fell silent once more.

“Alright, that’s enough laying around,” Gull proclaimed as he pushed himself to his feet with a groan. “Let’s get out of here before they start shooting at us again.” He said, going first to help Beta to his feet, then Mira.

“I’ve marked out a path back to the transmat point. It’ll take us through some dense cover – just in case the Fallen decide to tail us.” Lumiere noted as the three Guardians began moving towards the waypoint in their vision.

As they ran, Copperhead couldn’t help but notice the change in the Sunsinger’s stance. Her steps were lighter and her arms swung in wider arcs, almost as if she were on the verge of skipping.

“Well, someone’s in a good mood.” Copperhead observed.

“We might’ve just struck gold with the cipher hedrons, so I’d say at this point we’re on a lucky streak,” Mira replied. “So yeah, shoot me but I’m in a good mood.”

“Yeah, well. Let’s hope that streak stays.” The Ghost’s thoughts turned troubling as he looked back on the distant sight of the devastated Fallen stronghold. _Because this is usually as good as it gets._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation notes:
> 
> "Gott ist tot. Aber angesichts des Weges der Menschen bleibt sein Schatten noch Tausende von Jahren bestehen. Und wir müssen auch noch seinen Schatten besiegen." - God is dead. But in the face of man's path, his shadow will remain for thousands of years. And we still have to defeat his shadow.
> 
> "Leben heißt leiden, leiden heißt, im Leiden einen Sinn zu finden." - To live means to suffer, to suffer means to find meaning in suffering.
> 
> "Ich lehre dich jenseits des Menschen. Der Mensch ist etwas, das übertroffen werden soll. Was hast du getan, um ihn zu übertreffen?" - I teach you beyond Man. Man is something that shall be surpassed. What have you done to surpass him?


	16. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mira hits a road bump as she struggles to unlock the secrets of the Golden Age Cipher Hedrons.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I ended up writing WAY too much for one chapter, so I decided to split the word count between two chapters. It'll take some time to edit, but you can expect the next chapter to be out in a couple days. It'll be a little shorter than normal, but it'll keep the story going.
> 
> An Echo of Nothing is turning out to be a much longer story than I thought when I originally came up with the idea, but I don't want to gloss over parts in favour of getting to the important bit. Hell, EVERY CHAPTER is important to the story.
> 
> So, if you're still reading this and plan to stick with me to the end, thank you. Really.

**The Crystal Grotto, Aphrodite Highlands, Venus…**

“Tell me a little bit about the messages,” Gull asked as he placed the spare generator by the wall of the cave. “You mentioned a name. Niet- Nee- Nee-Atch-Cheese?”

“Nietzsche!” Mira corrected. “It’s the name of a pre-Golden Age philosopher. Or, at least that’s what the archives believe.” the Warlock explained as she began hooking up her equipment to a scanning plate she had placed atop an old workbench. “Friedrich Nietzsche. What we have of his actual works is sparse, but he’s referenced frequently in a few other documents and preserved tomes that lasted through The Collapse. Apparently, he was rather insightful about the topic of nihilism, and had a...particular perspective that conflict was a necessary element of evolution.”

“Hmph, sounds like a real party-pleaser.” Gull grunted as he crouched down to rummage through a storage box for the necessary tools.

“Don’t be so quick to judge,” Mira chided as she set up the last of her portable computers on the workbench. Across every inch of its wooden surface, a criss-cross of wires and cables connecting the various monitors and tablets propped up along the far edge. Processors flanked either side of the table, while the scanner took centerplace. “Nietzsche was able to break down the root of human nature into simple maxims and understandings. Why we do the things that still make us human.”

“Oh yeah? And what’s that?”

“Fear – but not just ordinary fear. Existential fear: fear that by the end of our time, our actions and decisions may amount to nothing in the grand scheme of the universe,” Mira stopped what she was doing to turn her full attention to the Gunslinger. “We form alliances, we make art, we try to build cities all because we want someone or something to remember us by once we’re all gone.”

“Right, all that ‘building a legacy’ stuff.” the Hunter mused as he tossed a connecting ring to the Warlock.

“That’s what it would eventually lead to, yes,” Mira replied, catching the ring. She turned to attach it to the end of the generator’s power cable and connect it to the main adapter. “It all goes so much further than that, though. See, Nietzsche lived in a time where mankind was still mostly ruled by its religion. Many lived their whole lives acting in accordance to their theological creed. Nietzsche argued, however, that if we only ever live and act as our god intended for us, we’ll never know if we could grow to surpass our own deific figures.”

“Uh huh, sounds interesting,” Gull replied, clearly not interested. “Just tell us what this has to do with the mission.”

“And that’s why you would never have made it as a Warlock. Alright, look-” she turned one of the monitors towards Gull. Tapping on the screen, it eventually flickered to life in a burst of static to show a yellow wavelength flowing across the screen. “This was the signal I encountered at The Silereum. And this-'' She turned another monitor around, this one represented with a blue, more chaotic wavelength. “Is the resonance the Cipher Hedrons emitted when I activated them.”

“So? They’re completely different.” Gull argued.

“They look completely different on the outside, yes, but if you isolate the transmission frequency, you get…” Tapping a command into her personal datapad, Mira extracted a single, green frequency from the digital representation of the Hedron’s resonance, placing it alongside the blue wavelength. “This.”

Gull stepped closer to examine the monitor, grabbing its edge to raise it higher where he could compare it against the signal. “They’re the same…” Gull murmured.

“Exactly,” Mira exclaimed excitedly. “Whoever sent that transmission to The Silereum is using the exact same frequency imprinted on these Cipher Hedrons. It’s still too early to say whether this is the base operating resonance of the Hedrons or if it was programmed into them, but what I’ve been able to find so far seems to indicate-” Mira forced herself to stop when she noticed the Hunter’s deadpanned look. “What I mean is that there’s a clear connection between the information on these supercomputers and that signal I encountered – which means that it wasn’t just pointless garble.”

“I’m still not seeing a clear picture here,” Gull’s Ghost piqued up. Its shell spun as it ran a servicing beam over the old generator. “Even if they are connected, why would someone EMP a random Vex stronghold? The Vex would just dismantle and reconstitute the material in a week. What could anyone hope to gain from that?”

“The thing is, it wasn’t an EMP,” Mira corrected. “Even the most powerful EMPs we have wouldn’t do more than disable the Vex for a few seconds, much less a Ghost. This signal outright  _ killed  _ them, and I think I finally know how.”

“Well, don’t keep us in suspense.” Gull commented.

“It was a behavioural overwriting algorithm: a-a type of virus that alters the way a machine intelligence thinks or behaves,” the Awoken explained, her amber eyes shining brighter than usual. “If someone wanted to make a Frame from the Shipwright’s hangar start making sushi, they could send it a BOA to completely replace the Frame’s operating protocols. But the more complex a machine’s behaviour programming is, the more complex the BOA needs to be. Even the most powerful cyberwarfare suites The Tower has couldn’t do what that signal did to the Vex-”

“Sorry to interrupt, Mira,” Lumiere interjected, floating out from behind the mess of processing hardware. “But the rig is ready to go whenever.”

The Sunsinger looked over the messy setup. The workbench - and everything on it - was pushed up against the wall of one of the grotto’s deeper chambers. An empty cave that once might have been used for storage, but had since been claimed by the Warlock for this particular mission. The generator had been brought online and was now being used to power the entire decrypting rig so that she wouldn’t have to rely on the grotto’s main generator

“Perfect,” she replied, turning her attention back to Gull. “Ok, so, what do we know about our mysterious transmitter so far?”

“He doesn’t like the Vex and he doesn’t like us.”

“Why do you assume it’s a ‘he’?” Copperhead asked over the team’s frequency. He and Beta were on the landing platform on the opposite side of the hideout, performing maintenance on the  _ Birth of History _ .

“ _ Probably best to keep Beta as far away as possible if you’re doing electronic work _ .” Copperhead said when he led the Titan away.

“I don’t know--  _ it _ , ok?  _ It  _ doesn’t like us!” Gull shouted back. “Doesn’t exactly change the situation.”

“Besides that – what else?” Mira pressed on.

“It’s got access to Golden Age tech? Mira, where is this goin-”

“That’s all old info. Think more recently.” The Warlock interrupted.

“I…it seems to have a thing for that philosopher of yours?”

“Precisely! Nietzsche is the link in all of this. His fundamental understanding of existence and the conscious self has  _ a lot  _ of applicability in artificial cognition,” Mira explained. “I believe that the BOA in the signal was written based on the Nietzschean ideology of nihilism.”

“Wait, you’re saying the signal turned the Vex into nihilists?”

“In the simplest of terms, yes.” Mira scoffed.

“Aren’t the Vex already nihilists?”

“Well, there’s no absolute certainty with that. Pragmatists, certainly, but we don’t know enough about the way they think to say what their ideology is,” Mira countered as she activated the deep scanner, causing the Cipher Hedrons to begin levitating as the artificial gravity field kicked in. “The point is that the Vex follow a uniform pattern of logic based on glimpses of future events-”

“So we assume.” Lumiere added.

“So we assume,” Mira assented. “The signal therefore managed to infect the Vex intelligence at The Silereum with a form of logic that conflicted with whatever outcomes they had predicted. The only logical course to resolve the issue was for the collective intelligence there to terminate themselves.”

“A mass suicide.” Gull murmured.

“More like the deletion of corrupted data files – to prevent the corruption from spreading to the rest of the Vex network,” Mira corrected. “It doesn’t really matter either way. The point is that someone on Venus has found a way to weaponize  _ logic _ .”

“But if this thing affects Ghosts too…” Gull’s Ghost thought aloud.

“Then I hate to say it, but you might be right,” Gull finished, glancing at the Sunsinger. “This thing might actually  _ be  _ as dangerous as you think it is.”

“All the more reason to find the source of the signal as soon as possible.” Mira continued, placing the two Cipher Hedrons on top of the scanning plate.

“And the nest of wires you’re slapping together will help us...how?” Gull asked.

“If that transmitter had access to the Cipher Hedrons, there could be a clue in there that could lead us to the source. Now, this rig should be powerful enough to run a decryption algorithm that can crack open the safeguards on the Hedrons. Then, we’ll have access to every bit of data on them.”

“I hope so. Even running this thing for a few minutes is going to burn through an hour’s worth of our Glimmer reserves,” Gull stated. “Why can’t you just do that origami thing you did with it earlier?”

“Because that only unlocks one facet of the Cipher Hedrons,” Mira explained as she typed in a series of commands into the console. “These devices were designed for utility by multiple users, partitioning off segments of its data storage to be accessed by specific folding patterns. A single Cipher Hedron can store up to twenty terabytes of data and maintain an unlimited number of locking patterns. I got lucky the first time, but after going over the facts with Lumiere I realised there could be a lot more still hidden on this thing.”

The entire walk back from the Fallen fortress was spent going over every single byte of data Mira had managed to unlock. Aside from those few garbled audio files, however, there wasn't a lot to go on. A few lines of incomplete code, random, numerical data on something called 'Achton' and over three dozen symbol sequences for a 'Project: Alamo'.

She had Lumiere save a copy of everything, just to be safe.

“Decryption algorithm standing by. Ready to unlock the secrets of the Golden Age at your command, Mira.” Lumiere announced.

The Warlock eagerly rubbed her palms together as she keyed in the activation command, watching in anticipation as the scanner lit up. “Just a few quick minutes and we’ll have all the intel we need to uncover the identity of our culprit. Then, we can start-”

Before Mira could finish her sentence, the monitors before her began to spark wildly as the screens flickered with error and warning messages. Everything came to a head all at once as a fuse blew somewhere and the scanner lost power.

“Um…I’ll run a diagnostic.” Lumiere stated sheepishly as he flew behind the monitors.

As Mira turned to meet the Hunter’s expectant look, she breathed out a frustrated sigh, raising a hand to fan away the electrical smoke coming from the console. “Ok, maybe more than a few minutes.”

* * *

Cracking open the data storage of a Golden Age supercomputer proved more difficult than Mira initially thought.

Soon, a few minutes became a few hours.

And before long those few hours turned into two Earth days.

“Alright, attempt number…who cares,” Mira grumbled dismally, her head resting heavily in one arm resting on the workbench. “Just run the damn program, Lumiere.”

The Ghost did as he was asked without a word, likely empathising with his Guardian’s frustrations. He interfaced with the scanner directly, manually rerouting processing power to optimise the process. On the monitor, Mira watched the changing numbers as the base security systems were breached - the surface-level security. It was only when the software attempted to gain access to the Hedrons’ secure subsystems did problems begin to arise.

The procedure was supposed to be simple, in theory: since the data shielding on the Hedrons’ memory banks were too complicated to breach, she would instead breach the security systems and disable the shielding. But never before had she encountered a security system with such advanced code drift.

_ If only I had the help of the FWC’s cipher division, I could- _ She stopped herself before that train of thought could go any further.  _ No. No, they turned their back on me. I can’t rely on them anymore – only myself. If I could just figure out which subroutines were vulnerable at a glance- _

The Warlock’s thoughts were interrupted by a quiet alarm from the monitor in front of her. ‘ _ Process Interrupted _ ’, one warning read. ‘ _ Program Terminated _ ’ the other read.

Mira breathed out another heavy sigh – the seventeenth one today, if she was keeping count correctly.

“Darn it! What are we missing here?” Lumiere thought aloud as Mira raised a hand to her temples.

“Don’t-” Mira clipped, too tired to pretend to be anything other than irritated at the moment. “Just…run the bypass again.”

Hesitantly, Lumiere did so, with the exact same results after a few second’s delay on the program termination.

If the electronic equipment in front of her hadn’t been so valuable, Mira might have considered smacking it just to make herself feel better.

_Am I seriously stooping to the electronic servicing methods of a Titan_? _No._ _Calm yourself, Mira. You’re better than that._

Instead, she got up from her chair and began pacing in a circle with her hands over her face.

_ Now you’re acting like a child. _

“Don’t be disheartened, Mira,” Lumiere comforted. “We’ve still got more variations to run on the bypass. We’ll find the right one eventually.”

She knew that. She  _ knew that _ . Yet knowing that they only had to persist did nothing to alleviate the Warlock’s frustrations.

Things were already in motion. They had already made great progress before the first week of the expedition was even done, not only picking up a lead but hard evidence to back Mira’s claim. They had only to keep their momentum going.

A momentum they were quickly losing.

To top it off, they had already made two advances against the House of Winter - poking the proverbial hornet’s nest. It wouldn’t be long before they crossed paths again – or the Fallen decided to retaliate against them. What would they do then? Their save havens were limited and their numbers were few. The odds were against them here – without the safety of The City to return to.

It was all giving Mira a headache.

“I’m done for today,” She declared, pushing her chair in as she walked away. “Give the rig an hour to rest, then continue attempting to breach security,” she called back towards her Ghost. “And let me know if anything changes.”

“Mira, wait. Where are you going?” She didn’t bother to answer Lumiere, mostly because she didn’t really have an answer. She simply needed time to think; think about how Fireteam Roman could best move forward with the operation. Think about how much supplies they had left and when they’d need to start rationing.

Think about how she missed The Tower, and wished Aeon was here with her and-

_ No, let’s  _ not  _ think about that _ , Mira chided herself.  _ See? This is what happens when you get attached – you can’t let go. _

This was the sign Mira needed to know the stress was finally getting to her – she was arguing with herself.

She needed to centre herself - and fast. Before she snapped again.

Her feet took her for several trips up and down the grotto’s main cave structure as she processed her thoughts. There were a few moments when Mira considered a few alternatives to eroding a path in the stone floor, but each time she shot those thoughts down and kept pacing.

Going to the hold to catch some sleep? Too restless. Make her rounds to check on the environment sensors? She’d just set them up this morning, if anything had gone wrong an alarm would’ve gone off. Meditate? Same answer as sleeping.

Eventually, the Warlock paced herself to exhaustion and came to rest on the landing platform, sitting at its edge with her back to Beta’s jumpship. Her eyes danced across the crystalline walls on the opposite end of the cave, flickering with the reflections of a single searchlight set up at the bottom of the cave. It felt good to be away from the computer rig for a few moments, but staring at a wall – no matter how beautiful a wall – wouldn’t alleviate the frustration in Mira’s mind.

_ It can’t be for nothing _ …Her slouch only grew deeper as she thought this.  _ It just can’t…there’s too much substance for it to just be…chance. _

Just as it seemed Mira was about to start spiraling again, her eyes glanced up at a noise. It was soft - distant - and sounded like it was echoing down from above the grotto. After sitting silently for a couple more seconds, Mira identified it as some kind of melody - not one she had heard before, that was for sure. Its pitch and reverberation were low, which meant one thing to the Warlock.

Someone was humming.

She supposed it had to be a ‘someone’, as only a Human or Awoken could emit that tone naturally.

Curious - and momentarily distracted from her thoughts, the Warlock silently ascended the steps carved out of the sides of the grotto, going slow as not to be noticed. As she neared the top, Mira noticed she could see better despite the constant darkness of the night. Looking up, she realised it was because the night wasn’t so dark for once.

Above, the sky was illuminated by a light coming through the thick sulphuric clouds. This was nothing to be alarmed by, Mira knew. It was just the natural effect of Venus’ dense atmosphere, coupled with its composition of gases and vapours capable of bending the light in the stratosphere.

Beneath its dim glow, sitting by the rim of the grotto’s hidden skyline, was Gull. He continued to hum that strange melody as he fiddled with a portable Glimmer-powered fabricator.

_ Should’ve known it was just that old Hunter _ , Mira thought to herself. She was debating whether or not to return below when she saw the Hunter drag a few pieces of scrap metal from around his side and place them into the fabricator’s construction chamber. She wondered what he was doing for a moment when the fabricator suddenly sparked to life, scanning the pieces of scrap metal before engulfing them in a beam that broke down their molecular structure into cubes of Glimmer.

Surprised by the sight, Mira decided to inquire further into what the Gunslinger was doing. She made her presence known by making her footfalls loud enough to ensure Gull could hear her coming.

She barely made it two steps before Gull abruptly stopped humming.

“Oh it’s just you, Vuul,” Gull stated by way of greeting before turning his attention back to the fabricator. “You make any progress with those cubes of yours?”

“Deltahedrons,” Mira corrected. “And no, we’re still trying to crack the system security.”

“Hmm, well I’ll be around when you make your big breakthrough. Might have to fetch Beta, but it shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Where is that enigmatic oaf, anyway?” Mira asked, only now realising Beta’s absence over the past day or so.

“Oh, I sent him out on an errand. I was skimming through Eris’ journal and found coordinates to some derelict remains of a Golden Age research outpost or some other,” Gull explained. “I sent Beta out to check the coordinates and bring back anything worthwhile. He’ll probably be another...four hours, if he didn’t run into any trouble.”

“Well, at least he won’t break anything while he’s out,” Mira mused as she knelt down next to Gull. “What about you?”

“What about me?”

“What are you doing up here?”

“Well, I thought I’d go through some of the junk the Hunters left behind here; clean anything that was still good and scrap the rest.” Gull replied, gesturing to the pile of old, rusted equipment at his side.

“You had to climb to the top of the grotto - completely exposed - to do that?” Mira asked, raising an eyebrow.

“No. But how often do you get to look up and see this kind of sky?” Gull asked back, tilting his head up to watch the light roll through the clouds.

There was an instance where Mira couldn’t fathom what Gull meant, but as she followed his gaze her eyes widened in awe. It was like the first time she was actually looking at the sky. Really, truly taking it all in.

She saw things she hadn’t in her first glance. The way the light refracted in a medley of colours; from turquoise to shades of greenish-amber. The way the dark clouds rolled in waves, like an explosion in slow-motion. Beyond that, there was the occasional ray of light that pierced the cloud covering and shone down on the land, providing no more illumination than light from the moon would, but still a sharp contrast to the perpetual cover of night that they worked under.

“It...really is something,” she admitted, only now realising that she had been so caught up in decrypting the deltahedrons that she narrowed her focus to a single, blinded point. She chuckled unexpectedly. “Now that I think about it, the sky was just like this the first time I was resurrected. I’m not particularly one for nostalgia, but-”

“You were resurrected on Venus?” Gull asked, genuinely curious.

“Yup. Lumiere found me among the sunken ruins of Ishtar’s coastal city,” Turning her attention to Gull now that the questions were flowing freely. “How about you? What ancient crypt did your Ghost dig you out of?”

Gull’s Ghost let out a muffled chuckle at that, earning it a glare from the Hunter. “Just because I’m old doesn’t mean I’m ancient.”

“Old is still old, Gull,” Mira chuckled before waving her hand dismissively. “Back on subject.”

Gull let out a dissatisfied huff at that, but conceded for now as he continued speaking. “I was actually rezzed on Luna.”

“Really?” Mira quirked a quizzical brow.

“Yep. Spent a good while there too, before I finally found a ship sturdy enough to survive re-entry.”

“I didn’t think Guardians could survive the low pressure environment up there.” Mira thought aloud.

“They can’t. That’s why I spent the first five minutes of my new life asphyxiating, least until I managed to patch the hole in my flight suit.” Gull explained.

“Flight suit?”

“Yeah, Ghost found me in the pilot seat of a recon interceptor. Crashed along the dunes of Mare Imbrium some ways away from the wreck of an old colony ship. Figure I must’ve been some kind of escort pilot before The Collapse or some other. Hard to say, I’d been up there so long the dust and wind’d erased the rank and name on the uniform. Only thing left was the name of the ship I died on.  _ Seabird _ .”

Mira pondered on this new information for a moment before she was suddenly struck with an epiphany. “Is that why you’re named Gull?”

“Huh, pieced it together, did ya?” Gull chortled.

“A lost  _ Seabird  _ in an  _ Ocean of Storms _ ? Subtlety and creativity, thy name is not.” Mira teased with a chuckle.

“It’s not like I was trying to be subtle about it. It’s just...argh, forget it.”

“No, no, it’s good. Really. Just a little uninspired, that’s all.”

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever.”

“I dug Beta out of a collapsed tunnel in the North American Empire. Took us three months to find able transport back to The City.” Copperhead’s voice suddenly toned in.

“Copperhead, good to see you’re still tapping this frequency.” Mira commented dryly.

“Oh, sorry. I thought we were sharing for a moment,” the Ghost replied sarcastically. “Y’know what, forget I said anything.”

“How long have you been listening in for?” Gull asked, somewhat accusatory.

“What, you think I’d actually take my ears off you two? While we’re out in the ass-end of nowhere on Venus? You guys trust me a  _ lot  _ more than you should.”

“Just tell me you’re also keeping an eye on Beta.”

“Never take my eyes off this guy,” the Ghost replied nonchalantly. “For the record, I was about to call in anyway. We’ve found that old research outpost in that book of yours.”

“And?” Mira was the one to speak this time.

“ _ And _ it’s mostly what you’d expect from being on Venus for so long. Everything’s either wet, rusted or covered in...are those roots? I don’t know; they’re white, tough and glowing.”

“Bring back a sample if you have the means - without damaging it, if possible.”

“Beta and I don’t do on-the-go requests!” the Ghost replied in disdain. “...We don’t do them well, at least.”

“Do what you can. It’s not like I expect much out of either of you, anyway.” Mira said dismissively.

“Ok, I’m taking that personally. Beta!” Copperhead’s yell could be heard in the background of the telemetry feed. “Get your magic stick, we’re chopping some root!”

Mira clicked off her communicator then, huffing in satisfaction. “All too easy.”

“...Now I see why you’ve got so many exes.” Gull said sardonically.

This drew a thin leer from the Warlock, saved only by a beeping in the Warlock’s helmet that indicated a direct transmission from her Ghost. “Go, Lumiere.” she acknowledged.

“Mira, get down here right now,” the Ghost ordered urgently. “Something’s happened.”

“You cracked the security encryption?” Mira asked eagerly.

“No, there’s something...happening.”

“Clarify.”

“Mira, the Cipher Hedrons are  _ receiving  _ something,” the Ghost clarified. “They’re picking up a transmission.”


	17. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fireteam Roman receives a mysterious, malicious transmission that could point them in the right direction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Alright, announcement time.
> 
> I had originally planned for An Echo of Nothing to be a sort of short, self-contained story that didn't have to be read to understand the greater story I had planned for 'A Tale of Three Destinies", at least for the first arc of it. There are elements from this story that will be relevant to the plot moving forward, but on a whole I didn't think this story would turn out so...lengthy.
> 
> As such, I've decided to split the story for An Echo of Nothing over two parts. Mostly because I know a 100K+ story can seem quite a tall order to read. This won't change what I have planned for the story, but it will make it somewhat more manageable as I practice writing shorter chapters.
> 
> To those of you reading this, know that I already have an exciting ending for this first half, and I hope to see you in part two, "Winter Fire".

**The Crystal Grotto, Aphrodite Highlands, Venus…**

“What transmission?” Mira shouted down to her Ghost as she practically flew down the cave slopes and leapt into the inner chamber. “What did you do?”

“I didn’t  _ do  _ anything! They just interlocked and activated some kind of...receiver function,” Lumiere explained as Mira ran up to the scattered monitors. “Mira, someone triggered it remotely. I didn’t detect any passing signals, which means they didn’t use any of the known telemetry frequencies to do it.”

She stared at her Ghost for a moment with concern, her brows creasing together as she turned her attention to the joined deltahedrons - which were now pulsing with orange light. “Mirror the transmission onto the monitors. I want to see what it says.”

“It’s already mirrored. The Hedrons hijacked the rig.” Lumiere stated with no small amount of alarm.

For a moment, Mira was so shocked by this information that her thumb stalled over the power button on the monitor she held.  _ This whole time, someone’s had access - no, they were connected to the Hedrons, _ Mira realised, her dread mounting.  _ They were here. With us. Listening. Waiting. _

“Mira?” A hand to the Warlock’s shoulder broke the momentary spell of paralysis. She snapped her neck around to see Gull standing behind her, panting slightly from the exertion of catching up to the jittery Sunsinger.

“Sorry. I-it’s nothing.” She reaffirmed, more to herself than anyone. After another brief moment of hesitation, the Sunsinger jammed her thumb against the power button.

The screen came to life immediately, a blue, fluctuating wave pattern taking up the entire screen as static crackled over the speaker system. The same synthetic voice they heard coming out of the Cipher Hedrons now spoke through the speakers on the rig, part way through an oration in Old German.

It took Mira a moment to catch on to what was being said, but when she did the Awoken’ amber eyes narrowed in confusion. “More Nietzsche?”

“Well, at least we know we’re dealing with the same guy.” Gull commented off-handedly.

“Shh, this is different,” Mira strained to note each inflexion and syllable as her mind struggled to translate each word on the spot. “This is new. It’s not just quoting Nietzsche, it’s discussing his stance on nihilism,” after listening for a few more seconds, Mira took a startled step back from the workbench. “This was recent.”

“How can you be sure?”

“It mentioned The Silereum,” Mira replied, watching with some grim satisfaction as the Hunter’s expressions wrinkled with concern.

The moment was broken when the cavern suddenly started to ring with a loud, piercing screech - growing louder as it echoed off the cave walls. It sent a shock to the Warlock’s nervous system, the likes of which she usually only felt when getting shocked by Arc energy, that left her completely unable to think for a moment. Mira’s hands reflexively covered her ears as soon as the noise assaulted her ears, but it wasn’t enough. The mechanical screeching continued to tear at her mind, forcing the Warlock to her knees as she struggled to think in what was effectively the centre of a giant amplifier.

Cracking an eye open, she saw that the Gunslinger wasn’t faring any better. Curled up into a ball on the floor, Gull seemed to be making a feeble attempt at rolling to the exit of the chamber with his hands covering his ears. However, the reverberating screech left the Human too disoriented to move in a straight path, getting no closer to escape as his roll arched the wrong way.

As Mira’s vision grew blurry with tears, she faintly noticed trickles of red seeping between where Gull’s hands were clasped over his ears.

The agony went on for what felt like hours as Mira tried her best to block out the sound, while getting as far away from it as possible at the same time. A feat that would have been easier if she didn’t have to shut her eyes to block out the painful vibrations resonating in the back of her retinas.

Approaching the rig to try and shut it down was out of the question. The very thought of getting any closer to the source of the noise was an impossibility for the Warlock - let alone taking her hands off her ears to do  _ anything _ .

Just when Mira thought her head might split open from the agonising, grating screech, the Awoken felt more than heard another sound. Unlike the constant ringing of the disorienting screech, this sound was like the clap of thunder. It went on for a few seconds before abruptly stopping. It took Mira a moment to realise the screeching had also stopped at some point during the thundering, plunging the grotto back into silence.

Well, except for the dull ringing in Mira’s ears.

The echo of the torment she just endured was still beating against her sore eardrums even as she was helped up and against the wall. Blinking her eyes open, Mira’s vision was immediately filled with two blue glowing concerned optics.

“Are you alright, Mira?” Beta asked as Copperhead flew by and ran a scan over the side of Mira’s face.

“I…” she raised a hand to wipe the tears from her eyes.

“Mira! Can you hear me!” Copperhead suddenly yelled as loud as he could right next to the Warlock’s ear.

“Yes! Please refrain from shouting!” she shouted back, just as loud as she brought a hand up to shield her throbbing ear.

“Her hearing’s fine.” Copperhead stated in assessment.

“No thanks to you,” Mira grumbled as she rested her weight to one side. Looking over at the workbench, she found that it was fuming smoke. Sparks flew from some of the processors and cracked monitors as several parts from it lay in pieces. “You shot up the rig.” Mira noted.

“Well he did, at least,” Copperhead replied, gesturing towards Beta. “You’re welcome.”

“I suppose,” she sighed, both hands massaging the area around her ears. “How’d you get back so quickly?”

“I ran,” Beta replied with a shrug. “Copperhead said something was happening, so I wanted to be back to see what it was.”

“But...Gull said you wouldn’t be back for another four hours?”

“Urgh, that Gunslinger is terrible at guessing time,” Copperhead groaned. “We were only like an hour away.”

At the mention of the Hunter, Mira’s attention snapped to his prone figure on the cavern floor. A low, pained groan slipped out of him as he tried to get up, only to stumble for his arms to slip out from under him. “Gull!”

As the two Guardians got closer, they noticed that Gull was bleeding from both ears. Though it seemed to have stopped, there was too much blood along the Hunter’s cheeks for it to just be minor damage. “Gull, can you hear us?” Copperhead asked.

“Barely,” Gull shouted back, much louder than necessary. “What was that?”

“A kind of sonic stun frequency,” Lumiere explained as he floated up to Mira’s side. “Designed to incapacitate organics with the possibility of permanent damage to hearing and locomotive functions. My guess is that when the Hedrons hacked the rig, they had a finger on the volume button to make sure it was deadly.”

“Yeah? Why didn’t you shut it off, then?” Gull asked accusingly.

“Because we couldn’t move,” Gull’s Ghost shot back as it floated to face its Guardian. “My best guess is that someone modified the sonic to affect both organics and synthetics.”

“No Name’s right. The moment Beta and I got too close to the chamber, I lost control of my shell,” Copperhead affirmed, coming up beside the Titan. “Dropped to the ground like a stone. Only reason Beta wasn’t affected was because he could mute his hearing.”

Gull turned to look at the Warlock. “This seem anything like what happened at The Silereum?”

“Different means, similar results,” Mira stated in reply before turning and walking over to the Cipher Hedrons - fortunately undamaged by the spray from Beta’s Auto Rifle. “But why send us a message only to try and kill us?”

“I don’t think they were trying to kill us,” Lumiere thought aloud. “Just like they didn’t immediately kill Snow at The Silereum. Whoever’s sending us these messages wants us to know what they’re capable of.”

“I’m all for flexing my great, mystical powers, but making us all permanently deaf seems like a bit much,” Copperhead responded sarcastically. “What makes you so sure?”

“Listen to that feedback loop again, but slower- and pitched down - and volume lowered.” Once more, Lumiere played the end of the transmission, likely saved into his memory even as it paralysed him.

_ Smart Ghost, _ Mira thought to herself, even as she braced for the head-splitting noise again. This time, however, the sound that came from Lumiere didn’t make Mira want to claw her ears out. Quite the opposite in fact, as she moved closer to the Ghost to hear better.

“Are those...numbers?” Mira asked.

“Twenty-eight digits, playing on a loop at two-hundred and eighteen recitations per second,” Lumiere clarified. “ _ That’s  _ what was causing the sonic.”

Mira listened to the repeating numbers a second time, hardly moving an inch as she did, before her eyes widened with realisation. She was a blur of motion as she rushed to detach one of the undamaged monitors off the rig, activating its portable tablet function as she opened up a white screen and began writing out the numbers with her finger. Once she was done, the Warlock marched over to the Hunter - busy stuffing dry cotton in his ears.

She tapped his shoulder to get his attention. “Do. These. Coordinates. Lead. Anywhere?” Mira asked, speaking louder and slower as she held the tablet up to Gull.

“...Yes,” Gull yelled his reply after a second. “Yeah, these should lead to the remains of New Cyprus. Why? Where’d you get them?”

“New Cyprus?” Mira repeated in a hushed tone, in favour of responding to Gull’s question.

“An old Golden Age city, similar to the Ishtar Collective,” Gull’s Ghost explained. “It was built in an inland valley and took advantage of one of the few flat, lowlands across the Aphrodite Region.”

“Where is that?” she asked, turning to Lumiere.

“Triangulating…” Lumiere paused for a moment, looking up at the ceiling. “According to my maps, it’s about two-hundred clicks from our position - three or four days by foot.”

“That’s it. That’s our origin point,” Mira breathed out in awe. Resolve hardened her expression as she moved to snatch the Cipher Hedrons off the rig. “Lumiere, make sure my gear’s ready. We leave in one hour,” the Sunsinger declared. “Alone.”


	18. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mira wants to continue on the next leg of her journey alone. Unfortunately for her, the rest of her Fireteam won't oblige.

**The Crystal Grotto, Aphrodite Highlands, Venus...**

“Hang on a second, Mira,” Copperhead yelled as he flew after the Warlock. “You want to trek across the Darklands for three to four days  _ alone _ ?”

“It’s the optimal solution,” Mira replied, stopping by the repair table to reassemble her Fusion Rifle. “The fewer of us out in the open, the less likely we are to draw attention,” once the rifle was completely assembled, the Sunsinger allowed it to transmat into the immaterium. “Thereby reducing the chances of our enemies discovering our one and only sanctuary.”

“Ok, normally I’d be more than happy to let you run off into certain doom by yourself, but this is weird - even for you,” Copperhead replied. “You sure there’s  _ nothing  _ you’re leaving out?”

“I don’t have time for this,” she muttered irritably. “Gull’s deaf and Beta’s loud. And I can’t afford to waste time looking out for them.”

“Hey, c’mon. Credit where it’s due. Sure, stealth isn’t one of Beta’s skills, but it’s not like he’s a walking firework show.”

Just then, the Exo in question soared overhead screaming at the top of his lungs. A malfunction in his Jump jets launched him across the grotto before slamming headfirst into the crystalline walls.

“Ok, that was a poor example.”

“Be that as it may, I need someone back here to watch over Gull while his hearing recovers.” Mira continued as she screwed the breech back onto her rocket launcher.

“Just because my hearing’s shot to hell doesn’t mean I’m helpless,” Gull’s voice - muffled by the amplifier of a helmet - came from nearby. Turning to see him, Mira saw that he was fully suited up, two hands adjusting the fit of his Martian-red  _ Ghost Angel _ helmet. “I didn’t spend a month working to get this helmet just because it's stylish. The built-in trauma compensators will automatically adjust to make up for my busted ears. Give ‘em a week and the auto-med systems will patch it up good as new - or maybe I’ll die and they’ll rez back to normal.”

“I don’t want to debate this with you, Gull,” Mira’s patience was wearing thin. “I need you at one-hundred percent or not at all.”

“And you’ll get one-hundred percent,” Gull replied vehemently, hefting his sniper rifle in one hand. “I don’t need directional hearing to use this - less so if I’m providing covering fire.”

“Yeah, but what about when we  _ don’t  _ have a vantage point for you to perch on? What if we get ambushed on the road and they manage to sneak up on us because  _ you  _ couldn’t hear them coming?” Mira asked bluntly. “We’ll be travelling for four days through treacherous terrain with no certainties about anything. This isn’t like one of your hunting trips.”

“I hunted the Ahamkara,” Gull said, slinging his rifle across his back. “This is like a walk in the park.”

“That’s not-”

“I don’t think you understand how this works, Mira,” Copperhead interjected. “Either you let us come with you and we do things as a team, or we follow you anyway and point and laugh from a distance when you eventually get lost.”

“This is not negotiable!” Her voice grew louder as her temper flared. “This could be exactly what I’m looking for, and I’m not about to jeopardise my shot at redemption because I had to stop to pull either of you out of the fire.”

“Says the one that needed to be pulled out of the fire.” Gull shot back.

“I had it under control!” she yelled, the last bit of Mira’s restraint unfurling like a ball of yarn. “You don’t trust me - neither of you do! Just like the Vanguard. That’s why Fireteam Roman didn’t last more than a month, it never had a chance to begin with!”

“There’s a difference between looking out for you and trust and you damn well know it!” Copperhead argued back, fully involved in the heated argument now.

“Yeah? And which one was it back at Old Chicago?” she spat bitterly. “Because this is starting to seem more and more like history repeating itself.”

“This is different.” Gull replied defiantly.

“How is any of this different?”

“Because we’re here for  _ you _ ! You brought us on to help you, so that’s what we’re doing! Even when you’re ready to toss us aside like spent ammunition, because that’s what teammates do - they stick out for one another!”

“Rrgh, fine!” Mira tossed both her hands up in exasperation. “I’m leaving in ten minutes. If you want to follow me, by all means! But I’m not stopping for either of you!” She left immediately after that, making a beeline for the grotto’s repository to grab as many emergency provisions as she could stuff in Lumiere’s inventory. After that, it was a quick stop by the backup of her personal datapad in her temporary quarters, and then she would be gone.

“Have you ever seen Mira this...wound up?” The bronze Ghost turned to the Hunter as he spoke.

“No,” Gull sighed in exasperation. “But she’s got a temper. And we’ve never been in a situation with stakes this high before.”

“Huuhhh...yeah, you might be onto something,” Copperhead agreed with a sigh. “I almost feel bad for her. The stress must be driving her crazy.”

“Like a really smart, pretty volcano.” Beta added.

“Yeah,” Gull agreed. “And we’re all caught in the lava flow.”

* * *

**The Nymphian Pass, Aphrodite Highlands, Venus...**

Mira made sure to tighten her grip on the next stone as she heaved herself up onto the ledge, her whole body tensing until she was safely laid out on the hard ground.

Taking a moment to catch her breath, Mira sat upright once she was sure the stone wasn’t going to collapse out from under her and went about detaching the magnetic anchor affixed to her belt.

“Alright, the hook’s coming down!” she called down to the rest of her Fireteam as she dropped the anchor over the side of the cliff. Tethered to the climbing rope by a pulley, the anchor followed the rope’s path as it fell into Gull’s waiting hand.

“Alright, got it,” He said. After a few moments, the Hunter called out again. “Beta’s secure. Just follow the rope and send the magnet down once you reach the top.”

“Don’t take too long, you two,” Mira said as she stood carefully and began walking across the narrow shelf. “I’m scouting ahead.”

“Be careful, Mira.” Gull warned.

“Always,” clicking off her communicator, Mira used one hand to balance herself against the rock wall as she moved through the dark, while the other held a light. Together with Lumiere’s help, the Warlock illuminated the path before her from both angles, ensuring that there were no shadows in her way as she walked the narrow shelf. “You’ve been oddly quiet these past few hours.”

“I felt it best not to say anything. You had it handled.” Lumiere’s words were stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

“Yes, well I don’t think I could have stopped them if I tried,” Mira commented, stopping when she came across a short gap in the shelf to assess the risk of crossing it. After taking a couple seconds to think, the Warlock took off at a running start and leapt the distance, crossing it safely. Seconds passed by without a response from the Ghost, which made Mira anxious. Lumiere was not being his usual forthcoming self. “What do you suppose is going on in their heads to make them act in such a way?” she asked, prodding the Ghost for a response.

“Why don’t you ask them yourself? I’m hardly in a position to give you an accurate opinion.” Lumiere replied, almost as if to deflect the conversation.

“It’s not like taking apart a piece of equipment, Lumiere. I’d imagine they’d take quite a bit of offense if I were to be so direct about that line of thought. That would almost certainly make them more difficult to coordinate with.”

“See, Mira, that’s the thing. They’re  _ not  _ equipment - they’re people. I know you have a certain way with people, but if you want these guys to stand by you, you have to let them. And start treating  _ us _ like we’re part of the team!”

So caught up in what her Ghost was saying, Mira didn’t notice the broken path before her as she stuck one foot down into empty air. She stumbled, almost slamming her face into the solid granite when her hands shot out to catch her.

Once she was sure she had her balance again, she turned to the Ghost. “What did you say?”

“I said you’ve got to start treating them like they’re part of a team,” the Ghost repeated. “I’ve heard from other Ghosts that the best way to maintain relations with other Fireteam-mates is to think of it as a...like a three-man partnership.”

“And give that bumbling Titan a third of our decision-making authority?” Mira asked rhetorically. “Gull puts us in enough danger as it is.”

“It’s not like the situations you walk us into aren’t risky.”

“No, but the risks are calculated and assessed. I only take them if the odds seem favourable while those two…” Mira sighed just thinking about it. “It’s like they barely have any sense of self-preservation.”

Mira stopped when she came upon a sheer rise in the path. Making sure that her flashlight was safely tucked away, the Warlock used her Glide to lift her up the wall of stone. “Do you ever consider that they only take risks when they know you’ll be there to back them up?”

The question gave the Sunsinger pause as she landed, standing stock-still by the edge of the shelf as she thought back. Instances of Gull and Beta rushing headlong into the throes of danger as Mira trailed behind them played through her mind. A diversion to draw the attention of their enemies while Mira performed delicate work picking off stragglers and ambushers that exposed themselves.

“That’s a naive notion, Lumiere,” Even as she said this, Mira couldn’t help but take an involuntary glance back down the mountain pass. Relief broke against her like a wave when she saw Gull hoist himself up over the edge of the rocky cliff - Beta standing in wait for the Hunter. “And naivety doesn’t help keep us alive.”

Lumiere remained quiet after that. After a while, Mira simply surmised that the Ghost had something on his mind that he wasn’t sure he wanted to share just yet. She decided that the best course of action would be to respect her Ghost’s silence, pressing on along the narrow stone shelf without another word.

_ He’ll tell me what’s bothering him when he’s ready, _ Mira told herself.  _ I’m sure of it. _

This continued for the next half an hour, the howl of the mountain night winds the only noise to break the silence. Eventually, they came to the far side of the mountain the Fireteam had been hiking around, finding that there was no way to cross over to the next mountain without first descending its face to hike up it from the ground.

_ Probably wouldn’t take us three to four days if we didn’t have to keep climbing these bloody mountains. _ Mira thought to herself just as she reached the ground where the two mountains met.

“Wait, stop!” Gull suddenly called out from about a yard away.

“Urgh, what is it?” Mira asked, spinning around on the spot. “I told you I wasn’t going to wait for you.”

“We’re on the right path, but we need to make a detour further down the valley.” the Hunter replied, already crouching down to carefully descend the slope of stones further down the mountainside.

“What? Why?” Mira asked, stepping back from the next mountain’s incline to approach the Hunter. “In case you’ve forgotten, New Cyprus is  _ this _ way.”

“Yes, but the shortcut there is  _ that _ way.” Gull shot back, pointing to the bottom of the valley.

“What are you talking about? What shortcut?” she asked incredulously.

“During the Golden age, people on the Highlands used to get about using an underground metro system. Can’t imagine what that must’ve looked like in its heyday, but it sure beats hiking,” Gull explained. “Most of ‘em have collapsed by this point, but there’s an entrance to one just down that valley that’ll take us straight to the city.”

“And you only thought to mention this  _ now _ ?” Mira asked, aghast that such useful information had been withheld from her.

“I didn’t  _ know _ about it until an hour ago,” Gull called back as he continued his descent. “Hell, the only reason I know about it now is because my Ghost was going through Eris’ journal and happened to catch the location.”

“You’re welcome, by the way,” the Hunter’s Ghost exclaimed. “I’d say I’ve earned that name by now?”

“Sure, how does ‘Bookworm’ sound to you?”

“...Ok, maybe it can wait a little longer.”

Still a little shocked by the turn of events, Mira remained frozen for a few seconds before chasing after the distant lights of her teammates. “And you’re sure that shortcut is still there?”

“Mira, this journal is like, a hundred years old. For all I know, the Fallen could’ve turned it into one of their...I don’t know, breeding grounds, or something.” Gull replied, dropping off a sheer edge to a part of the valley where the ground evened out a bit more.

“We’re on a clock, Gunslinger,” Mira stated irritably. “We can’t risk our lives chasing every discretionary lead we come across.”

“If this turns out to be true, we can be at New Cyprus City in two days - under a day if the trains still work,” Gull called back. “Besides, I have a good feeling about this.”

“We can’t just take risks based on your  _ good feelings _ , Gull,” Mira countered. “What if it turns out to be worse than you imagine?”

Mira stopped when her foot nearly slipped on a patch of wet, black fungus - nearly indistinguishable from the rock. Approaching from below, Gull held out a hand to help the Warlock down. “Then we prepare for the worst.”

Rolling her eyes, Mira took the outstretched hand as she leapt down to Gull’s level. “I hate it when that’s the only response you have, you know?”

The Hunter simply shrugged his shoulders as he turned to continue the descent down to the base of the valley. The trek was, admittedly, easier than climbing the side of a mountain, but as the minutes passed, Mira couldn’t help but wonder if this detour would amount to anything.

Eventually, the trio reached the bottom of the dip between the mountains, coming upon a slope of loose, dry gravel where Gull ordered them to stop. “This isn’t right. It’s supposed to be right here.” 

Mira sighed, both in satisfaction and disappointment. Satisfied disappointment, as some would say. “Well obviously the geography of the landscape must have changed dramatically over the past century, seeing as you’ve  _ never  _ misread a map before.” she remarked sarcastically.

Just as Mira was about to turn and make the bitter, resentful climb up the valley, Gull suddenly lifted one hand, catching her attention. “Hang on, you might be onto something. Ghost,” he turned towards the Light hovering by his shoulder. “Phase into the ground and check how deep it goes.”

Briefly spinning its shell quizzically, the black and red Ghost shrugged its shell and did as it was told. A minute passed in silent darkness as thunder clapped far above them before the Ghost returned, darting towards his Guardian.

“You’re not going to believe this, but the ground only goes down a foot before opening up into a tunnel. It goes either way into the mountains.”

Though his face was covered by his helmet, Mira knew as soon as Gull turned his head towards her that he was shooting her a look. She didn’t dignify it with a response, though, averting her gaze indifferently. “Is it compact?” he asked the Ghost.

“Well it’s definitely tough enough to stand on - likely the result of a landslide and then further erosion. However, I think enough force should be able to dislodge some of the loose gravel...here,” the Ghost indicated with a flash of its light as it hovered over to a fault in the rocky ground. “It should cause the floor to cave in partially and give us access to the tunnels.”

“Would a Fist of Havoc do the job?” Copperhead asked.

“That  _ should  _ be more than enough, yeah,” the Ghost turned to its Hunter. “You might want to stand back for this.”

“Alright, Beta. I want a clean double-fisted slam. No fancy moves, just a good ol’ fashion ground slam,” the Ghost instructed as Beta got into position. “Oh, and make sure you hit  _ right  _ here.”

As Beta readied himself, Mira grabbed Gull by the arm to pull him to the side. “Best not to stand behind him. The gravel along the slope still looks loose and that Fist of Havoc might cause another landslide.”

“Good call.” Gull replied just as Arc energy began surging between Beta’s hands. Without much ceremony, the Titan raised both fists over his head before bringing them down in a two-handed pound that sent out a wave of blue Arc discharge and shook the earth.

The two Guardians had to look away as the bright surge washed over them, and Mira might have fallen over if she still hadn’t had a hand on Gull as the Hunter dug his legs into the ground to withstand the momentary tremors. When she opened her eyes again, the world around them was dark once more as Mira looked down at the unmoved ground at the Striker’s feet in disappointment.

“I thought you said that would work?” she asked, directing the question at Gull’s Ghost.

“Well it  _ should  _ have,” it argued back. “...Unless there were more solid stones under there than I thought.”

“Beta, were you hitting as hard as you could?” Gull asked.

“Uh...I think so? I was thinking of going with the ‘Intense Slam’, but went with the ‘Serious Slam’ since this was important.” The Titan replied. “Should I have gone with the ‘Uber-Mega-Destruction-Mother-Of-All-Slams Slam’ instead?”

Mira raised a hand to her forehead as she sighed in frustration. “Well, we can always try again...in another four or five minutes.” Copperhead offered.

“Forget it. This was a waste of time. Let’s just-”

“Uh, Mira?” Gull’s tone was wary as he pointed his helmet lights down at a crack in the ground in front of them.

A crack that was gradually spreading their way.

“Lumiere, what is-” the Sunsinger’s words were cut off by a startled yelp - accompanied by the Gunslinger’s - as the ground beneath them suddenly caved in and they were both plunged into a dark abyss.

The fall only lasted a couple of seconds, but in the pitch-black they might as well have fallen for a whole minute before hitting solid ground again. “Oh, shit! Mira? Gull? Respond. Say something!” Copperhead’s worried tone rang out over the comms.

Gull let out a pained groan as he sat up in the dark, his Ghost flitting about to check their surroundings. “We’re alive, just took a bit of a fall,” he announced. “Mira, how are you doing?”

“I’d be doing a lot better without your arse on my head.” the Warlock grumbled from just below the Hunter.

Startled by the realisation that he had fallen on top of the Sunsinger, Gull quickly got up and helped Mira to her feet. “How did we even get down here? We weren’t anywhere close to the fault.” Lumiere asked aloud.

“It seems I  _ may _ have misjudged the weakest point in the ground,” Gull’s Ghost admitted. “Guess the force of the Fist caused the fault to travel across the path of least resistance - right to the softest part in the ground.”

“So, I guess that would make this…” Mira began as she took in the darkness of her surroundings.

“The metro, yeah,” Gull affirmed. After a few seconds of looking around, the Hunter holstered his gun and turned to face Mira. “No signs of enemy activity and I’m not getting anything on the motion tracker. I think it’s safe to come down, Beta.”

Looking up at the hole they had fallen through, Mira watched as Beta first dangled his legs down the hole - kicking about almost comically - as he slowly lowered himself down. Just when he seemed to have cleared the narrow passage, the Exo suddenly let out a yelp as he slipped down into the dark and landed on his rear.

“You...alright, Beta?” Mira asked, only half-concerned.

“My butt kinda hurts,” Beta stated, standing up to assess his surroundings. “And it’s dark.”

“He’s fine,” Copperhead said as he flicked on his searchlight. “So, which way to that city?”

“Follow me,” Gull responded, taking the lead. “There aren’t many branches in the tunnels, but let’s stick close. It’ll be easy to lose track of each other in this kind of dark.” he explained before beginning his march down the lightless subterranean corridor - helmet light and Ghost shining here and there.

Mira moved to follow, but abruptly stopped when she heard a few rocks hit the ground behind her. Spinning around, she shone her light on the source of the sound - spotting the broken rocks on the ground. Her hand was already on her weapon as she aimed her light up, shining it on the hole they had fallen through. She didn’t see anything, and the cracks surrounding the hole meant that the rocks could have just come loose on their own.

But something didn’t feel right to the Warlock.

“Mira, you comin’ or what?” she heard Gull call out to her from down the tunnel as his Ghost’s light caught her eyes.

Taking one last look at the hole, Mira turned to follow the rest of her Fireteam to their destination. To settle her thoughts, she brushed the nagging feeling off as paranoia from their travels and the surrounding darkness.

It was the best explanation she could come up with, not having seen the two shimmering figures crawling along the ceiling in the dark.

Following close behind the three unsuspecting Lights.


End file.
